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Year: 2018

There Are Some New Rules — and Situations — to Be Avoided

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Banking and Financial Services Sections

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

By Sean Wandrei

Sean Wandrei

Sean Wandrei

In December 2017, Congress passed H.R.1, better known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The act is the largest overhaul of the tax code since 1986. As with any new legislation, there are opportunities and pitfalls that one needs to be aware of when trying to take advantage of the new rules and avoid unwanted situations.

There are still many questions related to the act that the IRS will need to issue guidance on. There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s take a look at some items that businesses and individuals should be aware of.

The act reduces the corporate tax rate to a flat tax rate of 21%. This means the first dollar of taxable income is taxed at a 21% rate. This reduction could cause many owners of non-taxpaying entities (e.g. partnerships, limited liability companies, and S-corporations, also known as pass-through entities) to consider switching to a taxpaying entity (i.e. C-corporation). The maximum tax rate that the income of a pass-through entity could be taxed at is 37%.

Business owners could decide that their business should convert from a pass-through entity to a C-corporation based on this. While the reduction of the tax rate sounds great, there could be some issues that could increase the overall tax due if the entity is a C-corporation. If the owner(s) want to take money out of the C-corporation in the form of dividends, it will have to pay taxes on the dividends from the C-corporation at a maximum rate of 23.8% (20% tax on the dividend plus 3.8% net investment-income tax).

This is known as double taxation, which impacts only C-corporations and not pass-through entities. This could reduce or eliminate the overall tax savings of converting the entity to a C-corporation.

While taxes paid are usually a major factor on entity selection, there are some non-tax items to consider. Owners of C-corporations can receive tax-free employee benefits that pass-through entities are not entitled to. Another tax-savings option that was available prior to the act is the exclusions of the gain on the sale of qualified small-business stock (QSBS) under Code Section 1202. This provision was amended in 2010, allowing QSBS acquired after Sept. 27, 2010 to be eligible to exclude the total gain on the sale.  There are a few rules that have to be met to allow for the 100% exclusion. Section 1202 is available only for C-corporations. This means that, when the owner decides to sell his or her stock, the gain from the sale of that stock would be tax-free. The reduced tax rate and non-tax benefits could make C-corporations more attractive to some.

C-corporations are not the only business entities that received a tax break from the act. Pass-through entities are able to take a deduction of 20% on the qualified business income (QBI) earned from the business. Individuals who are sole proprietor and file a Schedule C and individuals with rental activity reported on Schedule E also qualify for this deduction.

On the surface, this deduction seems to be straightforward, but there is a lot to this deduction. Not all businesses qualify, and the deduction could be limited. QBI can be thought of as ordinary income from the business. The catch is that the deduction is limited to the lesser of 20% of QBI or 50% of the total W-2 wages paid by the business. So wages need to be paid to be able to take this deduction.

The 50% of W-2 wages does not apply if the owner’s taxable income is below $315,000 for married filing jointly (MFJ) and $157,500 for other taxpayers. This deduction may not be available to a specified service trade or business (SSTB). A SSTB is a business involving service in many fields, including law, accounting, consulting, and financial services. Engineers and architects were excluded from the definition of SSTB in a last-minute change. If the owner’s taxable income is below $315,000 for MFJ and $157,500 for other taxpayers, the SSTB limitation does not apply.  

The planning that comes into play for this deduction is based on the entity type. QBI does not include reasonable compensation paid by an S-corporation to the owner(s). Similarly, QBI does not include amounts paid as guaranteed payments by a partnership to the owner(s).

Based on this, if the pass-through entity is an S-corporation, reasonable wages are going to be deducted from the QBI, which will reduce QBI and the deduction. A partnership and sole proprietor are not required to take guaranteed payments, so the QBI could be larger for a partnership than an S-corporation based on this. If the taxable income is below the limits mentioned above, the 50% of W-2 wages option does not come into play, and the larger deduction will be had by the partnership and sole proprietor.

If the 50% of W-2 wages comes into play, then the S-corporation will have to pay W-2 wages, and the partnership will have to pay guaranteed payments to owners or wages to non-owners to be able to take this deduction. With this in mind, the owner’s taxable income will need to be monitored.

For individuals, the elimination of exemptions and the doubling of the standard deduction will cause more taxpayers to take the standard deduction instead of itemizing. It is said that only 10% of the population will itemize in 2018 compared to 30% in 2017. If you fall into the 10% of people who itemize, you may have heard that one of the biggest deductions, state and local taxes, is limited to $10,000 per return.

This is the case if you are single or filing as MFJ; the deduction is limited to $10,000. The marriage penalty is back. If the MFJ couple was not married and filed as single taxpayers, then they each would be able to deduct up to $10,000 in state and local taxes.

In the past, the interest from a home-equity loan was deductible. The proceeds from the home-equity loan could have been used for anything. Now the interest from a home-equity loan is no longer deductible unless it is used to buy, build, or substantially improve the taxpayer’s home that secures the loan. Prior to the act, employees were able to deduct unreimbursed business expenses related to their job. This is no longer the case.

As you can see, the act has provided many new things to consider when it comes to taxes. Now, more than ever, your CPA will be counted on to help with tax planning.

Sean Wandrei is a lecturer in Taxation at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. He also practices at a local CPA firm; [email protected]

Business Owners Should Be Aware of Key Changes in This Realm

By
Banking and Financial Services Sections

Entertaining Thoughts

By Carolyn Bourgoin, CPA

Carolyn Bourgoin

Carolyn Bourgoin

For many businesses, corporate entertainment has long been a means of building relationships with referral sources, vendors, and strategic partners as well as providing networking opportunities for physicians and practice managers to meet new referral sources and industry influencers and to build a presence in the marketplace.

The recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has eliminated most deductions for business-entertainment expenses paid or incurred after Dec. 31, 2017. Drawing the line between the portion of an entertainment activity that is business-related versus for pleasure has long been an area of contention between the IRS and taxpayers. Though the TCJA did eliminate most business-entertainment expenses, certain expenditures, mainly those benefiting employees, did survive the tax cut.

Taxpayers need to understand what expenses survived the repeal so that they can properly segregate the deductible costs.

Expenditures Paid or Incurred Prior to 12/31/17

Prior to the TCJA, entertainment expenses and the use of entertainment facilities were deductible only if the taxpayer could establish that the costs were either directly related to a taxpayer’s trade or business or associated with the active conduct of a trade or business for which a substantial and bona fide business discussion occurred either directly before or after the event. In addition to meeting the ‘directly related to or associated with’ test, entertainment-expense deductions had to satisfy strict substantiation requirements, including details on the amount of the expense, the time and place of the entertainment, the business purpose, and the business relationship with the persons entertained. The term ‘entertainment’ includes activities at country clubs, nightclubs, sporting events, cocktail lounges, and theaters. Though not defined by regulations, business-entertainment expenses are to be further reduced by amounts considered “lavish or extravagant.”

Additional cost limitations apply to skybox rentals, sports tickets purchased for more than face value, and attendance at foreign conventions. Country-club dues were (and still are) nondeductible.

Business entertainment expenses that had escaped limitation at this point were then generally limited to 50% of the expense, unless they fell under one of several exceptions, including certain entertainment expenses included as compensation to the recipient and social or recreational entertainment provided primarily for the benefit of employees who were not highly compensated. These business-entertainment expenditures were fully deductible and survived the TCJA repeal and will be addressed later in this article.

Entertainment Expenditures Paid or Incurred After Dec. 31, 2017

Pursuant to the TCJA, expenses related to entertainment, amusement, or recreation that are directly related to or associated with the active conduct of the taxpayers’ trade or business are no longer deductible. As a result, a tax deduction will not be allowed for the following items incurred after Dec. 31, 2017:

• Expenses incurred for the use of entertainment facilities, such as the lease of skyboxes, are no longer deductible. However, businesses should review their lease agreements to see if there may be a component included in the rental price for advertising. This portion of the rental cost would be fully deductible as advertising if properly documented and reclassified;

• Expenses related to the entertainment of a client or prospect at a sporting event, theater, concert, or similar type venue (unless included in a 1099 as a prize) are not deductible under the new rules;

• Expenses for attending charitable sporting events, such as a golf tournament, where the entire net proceeds go to charity, will not be deductible to the extent of the cost of the golf or other goods or services provided. Until further guidance is issued, it is unclear whether the meals offered at an entertainment event are still 50% deductible. To the extent the ticket price exceeds the goods and services received, the taxpayer will be entitled to a charitable deduction; and

• As was the case prior to the tax-reform act, dues paid to any social, athletic, or sporting club or organization are non-deductible expenses.

Business-entertainment Expenses Still Allowed

As discussed previously, there are nine categories of entertainment-related expenditures that were not eliminated by the TCJA, as follows:

• Expenses for recreational, social, or similar activities (including related facilities) offered primarily for the benefit of employees other than highly compensated employees are fully deductible. A holiday party or annual picnic are examples;

• Expenses directly related to bona fide business meetings of stockholders, employees, agents, or directors are allowed. Examples of such expenditures would be refreshments offered to employees at a meeting where they are being instructed in a new business procedure. Food and beverages served at these meetings would be subject to the 50% limitation;

• Expenses directly related and necessary to attendance at a business meeting or convention held by a business league, chamber of commerce, real-estate board, or board of trade are deductible. Meals at these meetings would be subject to the 50% limitation;

• Expenses for services, goods, and facilities made available by the taxpayer to the general public, such as during a promotional campaign, are deductible;

• Expenses for food and beverages furnished on the taxpayer’s business premises primarily for the taxpayer’s employees (i.e. more than half), are deductible. The cost of meals provided for the convenience of the employer, such as when employees must be available throughout a mealtime, are only 50% deductible as of Jan. 1, 2018. Prior to the TCJA, these meals were 100% deductible. In addition, meals provided at an employer’s on-site dining facility are subject to the 50% limitation until Jan. 1, 2026, when meals for the convenience of the employer as well as the meals and cost of operating an on-site dining facility are no longer deductible;

• Entertainment expenses that are treated as compensation to employees, by including the costs in employee wages for income-tax-withholding purposes, are deductible;

• Expenses for entertainment-related goods or services, to the extent they are includible in the gross income of the recipient as compensation for services rendered or as a prize or award, are allowed. The recipient in this case would not be an employee of the taxpayer and must be issued a 1099 to the extent the goods or services received exceed $600;

• Expenses for goods or services (including the use of facilities) which are sold by the taxpayer in a bona fide transaction for adequate and full consideration in money or money’s worth are deductible. An example of this would be the cost of meals sold by a restaurant, and

• Expenses incurred by a professional firm for actual meal expenses that are charged back and reimbursed by a client, where the meals are separately stated in the invoice, are deductible.

De minimis fringe benefits, which are benefits that are so small as to make accounting for them unreasonable, such as coffee, soft drinks, and donuts offered to employees, remain fully deductible through the tax year 2025. In addition, meals associated with the active conduct of the taxpayer’s trade or business are still allowed, subject to the 50% limitation. Until further guidance is issued, it is unclear whether meals purchased at a business-entertainment event, such as after a round of golf or attending a ballgame, are a non-deductible entertainment expense or if they meet the business-related tests and are still deductible subject to the 50% meals limitation.

Classifying sporting tickets provided to clients as business gifts does not provide much relief, as the tax deduction is limited to $25 per item.

Bottom Line

Due to the recent changes in the tax law, it is important for taxpayers to consult with their tax advisors and develop an understanding of the business meals and entertainment expenses that remain deductible and develop a strategy to track them. It would be wise to set up separate accounts based on whether they are 100%, 50% or nondeductible.

Amounts paid to attend entertainment events should be analyzed to see if there are advertising or charitable components to the cost that can be reclassified as fully deductible. Consideration could be given to issuing 1099s to clients or prospects being provided with free tickets to events to make the cost deductible as prizes. Though the TCJA was not favorable to taxpayers that incur business-entertainment expenses, there are still some expenses in this area that remain deductible.

Carolyn Bourgoin, CPA is a senior tax manager with the Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3483; [email protected]

Manufacturing Field Is Turning More Heads

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CoverFeature 0318a
Sections Workforce Development

Making Some Progress

Elizabeth Ryan

Elizabeth Ryan, working her way toward a bachelor’s degree in advanced technology systems, wants to move on to a leadership position in the manufacturing field.

While the region’s manufacturers continue to struggle to find qualified help and fill the enormous voids being left by retiring Baby Boomers, it appears that some progress is being made in efforts to inspire young people to consider the field and start down a path toward a career within it. Conversations with students at Springfield Technical Community College reveal that, while considerable work remains to be done to meet the workforce needs of this sector, some perceptions about it are changing.

Gary Masciadrelli said the letters keep coming.

And to back up those words, he started shuffling papers on his desk to find some. He didn’t have to look far or work hard.

“Here’s one — a local company looking for an intern,” said Masciadrelli, professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department at Springfield Technical Community College, as he held it aloft. “Here’s another one … someone looking for a manufacturing engineer. We get a letter almost every day or every other day. We’re constantly getting these demands for people to fill jobs; we could definitely use more students.”

Indeed, a number of area manufacturers are turning to STCC and Masciadrelli for some kind of help with a large and ongoing problem — finding enough talented help to help the steady steam of orders these companies are getting, especially as members of the Baby Boom generation reach retirement age.

“We have far more job opportunities than we have people to fill them,” said Masciadrelli as he talked with BusinessWest in his small office within STCC’s Smith & Wesson Technology Applications Center, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment on which students can train.

That ‘we’ he used referred to both the college — which has plenty of unused seats within both its associate-degree program and a new program launched in conjunction with Northeastern University whereby students may earn a bachelor’s degree on the STCC campus — and the manufacturing sector itself.

By some counts, there are hundreds of jobs, maybe more, within the region’s manufacturing sector that could be filled but have not been because there are simply not enough trained individuals. Changing this equation has become one of the top workforce-development priorities within the 413, which has a rich history in manufacturing and innovation dating back to the creation of the Springfield Armory (on what is now the STCC campus, ironically).

Masciadrelli told BusinessWest he’s doing what he can, but it remains a stern challenge to interest young people in this profession. Reasons vary, but at the top of the list are outdated perceptions about what the work is like; lingering doubts, fueled by talk about everything from robots to work going overseas, about the relative health of the sector moving forward; and strong memories among parents who saw stalwarts ranging from American Bosch to Moore Drop Forge to the Springfield Armory abruptly close their doors.

But some young people are managing to look beyond all that and see the vast potential that work in this sector holds. Many have role models, if you will — relatives or friends who stand as inspiring examples. And many are women, introduced to the field in high school and encouraged to continue down that path.

People like Lineisha Rosario, from Agawam, who started down the road to STCC and its mechanical engineering program (quite literally) while watching her father work on cars and becoming fascinated with how things worked.

“I was always with him and always willing to help, even though he didn’t let me because I was too little,” said Rosario, currently working for CNC Software Inc. in Tolland, Conn., which provides state-of-the-art software tools for CAD/CAM manufacturing markets, in the post-processing department.

She plans to continue working there after earning her associate’s degree in a few months, and encourages others to explore a field where they can stretch their imagination and expand their career horizon.

And also people like Elizabeth Ryan, who earned her associate’s degree at STCC and is now working toward her bachelor’s through the affiliation with Northeastern.

A graduate of Chicopee Comprehensive High School, she currently works as a mechanical engineer at Parts Tool & Die, an aerospace machine shop based in Agawam. She enjoys her current work handling programming, processing, and quoting, but has set her sights much higher.

“I want to move up the chain and see if I can get into a leadership position,” she explained. “I’m still fairly new to the industry since I’ve only been in it a year and half, but I have a lot of options now.”

Lineisha Rosario

Lineisha Rosario, currently working for CNC Software, says there are many career options for those looking to enter the broad field of manufacturing.

Indeed, she does, and this is the message that Masciadrelli and all those in the manufacturing sector want to get across loud and clear.

For this issue and its focus on workforce development, BusinessWest talked with Masciadrelli and several of the students enrolled in the programs at STCC. Their comments reveal that, while there’s still considerable work to do to close that gap noted earlier, this sector may be starting to turn some heads — as well as some cutting-edge parts for everything from the aerospace industry to the medical-device field.

Breaking the Mold

For many years now, area manufacturers, technical high schools, STCC, and workforce-development-related agencies such as the area regional employment boards have been working diligently to inspire young people — and their parents — to at least give manufacturing a hard look.

Programs have enjoyed varying degrees of success, but some progress has definitely been made when it comes to debunking myths and enlightening people about the opportunities to be found in this field.

For evidence of this, one needs to spend only a few minutes with Tim Vovk.

A graduate of West Springfield High School last May, he started work toward an associate’s degree at STCC last fall, more than four years after he signed up for something called the Pathways to Prosperity program, which introduces area young people to the manufacturing field while in high school.

“I thought to myself, ‘I might as well get to know the field; if I don’t like it, I can always leave it,’” he told BusinessWest. “I took the chance, and I grew to like it, especially the problem-solving aspect of it.”

Inspired by his cousin, a drafter at Pratt & Whitney, Vovk wants to follow a similar path because of the challenging and rewarding nature of design work.

Tim Vovk

Tim Vovk says he was introduced to manufacturing while in high school, and he grew to like it, especially the problem-solving nature of the work.

“I’m enjoying it even more than I thought I would,” he said, referring specifically to solid modeling and blueprinting. “It’s fun to see a concept take shape.”

The region — and area manufacturers — could use at least a few hundred individuals more like Vovk, and they’re a long way from getting there. But his story, or individual components of it (that’s an industry phrase), are becoming more common thanks to ongoing efforts to promote the industry, create pathways to enter it and thrive within in it, and provide people with the skills that area manufacturers are desperate for.

And STCC is at the forefront of all that, with new facilities (the Smith & Wesson Center), new programs such as the affiliation with Northeastern, and solid relationships with a number of area manufacturers, said Masciadrelli as he talked with BusinessWest just prior to a class (called Solid Modeling for Mechanical Design I) involving freshmen enrolled in the associate-degree program in mechanical engineering technology.

These students, mostly younger individuals but some looking for a new career opportunity, spent the first semester on basic modeling and learning software. In this spring semester, they are learning what Masciadrelli called the “mechanics of design,” meaning proper drawing standards, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, and understanding how to put all that on blueprints, and, in general, understanding the language of design.

By the time they earn their degree roughly 15 months later, and probably well before that, they could be owning jobs in several different realms, including design (CAD); manufacturing, such as using Mastercam programming; and the broad ‘quality’ realm.

While those at STCC are training students for the field, they’re also trying to sell young people and their parents on a profession. And in most respects, it remains a hard sell, said Masciadrelli.

“You have to get into the high schools and get to the guidance counselors and the parents as well,” he explained. “They need to be made aware that this field has changed and there are some great opportunities for good-paying jobs and careers.

“Technology has changed the field of engineering tremendously,” he went on. “Things that were done by hand … the computer has taken over everything. Look at CNC machining; people are no longer running a Bridgeport, turning cranks and feeling the work. The computer runs the CNC machine; with the technology involved, a lot more people can get involved in this work.”

And by all indications, there will be plenty of work in the years and decades to come, he continued.

Amanda Cyr

Currently working at GKN Aerospace in Connecticut, Amanda Cyr is working toward her bachelor’s degree and, hopefully, a leadership position in manufacturing.

“The people at Pratt & Whitney are telling me they’re seeing no changes in he current demands for decades,” said Masciadrelli. “They never been so busy.”

He said the affiliation with Northeastern will help in this regard, because it will enable people to earn a four-year degree while they work (this is a night program) and in Springfield, as opposed to Boston or Amherst (UMass). And with that degree, new doors of opportunity can be opened.

“We want to show people what a great opportunity they have right here,”Masciadrelli explained. “You come here, spend two years, get a job — you’ll definitely be working when you graduate, and probably well before that — and while you’re working, you can complete your bachelor’s degree at night on this campus.”

There are actually two offerings through the affiliation with Northeastern — a degree in mechanical engineering technology (an offering that did not attract enough students to become reality this year), and another in advanced technology systems, which has attracted six students for this spring, including Ryan.

Where Dreams Take Shape

Perhaps the best selling tool the college has when it comes to its programs and the profession as a whole, Masciadrelli said, are individuals like its graduates and current students (most all of them already working in the field as well).

Through word-of-mouth referrals, they let others become aware of everything from the ample supplies of jobs available to the attractive salaries they offer. Through their stories, they effectively communicate that careers in this field are desirable and, contrary to popular opinion, not beyond their reach academically.

David Nawrocki, a graduate of Chicopee Comprehensive High School, tells a story heard often at STCC.

“Originally, I was going to do the engineering science transfer and transfer from here to UMass, but then I saw the course list, and I felt like a wanted to cry,” he explained. “I’m not really into Calc 2 and all the higher math like that. One of the admissions people sat down with me and saw how frustrated I was. I came and talked to Gary [Masciadrelli] my junior year, and he said, ‘I’ll see you next year.’”

Set to graduate in May, Nawrocki, currently working as an inspector at B&E Tool in Southwick, plans to enroll in the Northwestern advanced manufacturing program, earn his bachelor’s degree, and create more potential landing spots.

Specifically, he’d like to be a project manager or manufacturing engineer. “Something that combines the design side that I like with the practical application of the knowledge,” he explained.

Meanwhile, one his co-workers at B&E, Leah Babinova, a graduate of Westfield Vocational Technical High School last May, is just getting started at STCC.

She was inspired by her two sisters, both of whom went to STCC. One is now working toward a degree in aerospace engineering, while the other is working for a manufacturer in Connecticut.

Also an inspector at B&E, Babinova said she had that job before she even graduated from high school. Surveying the field, she said there are many attractive career opportunities already within her reach, and many more if she adds college degrees.

“There are a lot of good jobs out there,” she told BusinessWest. “Most people just aren’t aware of how many opportunities there are.”

Amanda Cyr is well aware. She’s already been working in the aerospace-engineering field for roughly eight years, since just before her graduation from Westfield Voke.

She’s currently at GKN Aerospace in Newington, Conn. as a manufacturing engineer and robotics programmer. She graduated from the associate-degree program at STCC and is now enrolled in the Northeastern program to generate more of those options her classmate Ryan talked about earlier.

David Nawrocki

David Nawrocki, an inspector at B&E Tool, is working toward his associates degree, and will press on for his bachelor’s

“I just want to continue growing within the industry and have plans to possibly be in a leadership role,” she explained. “And I think having a bachelor’s will help me down that path.”

She spoke for her classmates, her co-workers, and just about everyone else in the industry when she talked about why she chose it as a career.

“It’s challenging, it’s fast-paced, but it’s good — really good,” she said, while Ryan, sitting next to her, nodded her head in agreement.

“The whole world revolves around manufacturing,” she told BusinessWest. “Everything around you has to be manufactured, so if you think about things in that way, you get engaged in it. And the more you get engaged in it, the more you enjoy it.”

Part and Parcel

As Masciadrelli talked about the manufacturing field and the many types of opportunities within it, he said that, while the money’s good, and that’s important, the work itself brings many different kinds of rewards that are not obvious to many on the outside looking in.

“It’s an exciting field — you’re doing something, you’re making something,” he told BusinessWest. “You start with a drawing, and all of the sudden, that becomes something real; things fit together, or they don’t fit together. That’s what fun about it.”

People like Scott Vovk, Elizabeth Ryan, Amanda Cyr, and Victoria Bradenberg have already figured that part out. The region’s manufacturers need hundreds more to become similarly enlightened if they are to have enough talented people to handle the contracts coming their way.

It’s a huge challenge in every respect, but there is progress being made, in every sense of that phrase.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Casino Career Training Institute Attracts Diverse Student Body

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Sections Workforce Development

Rolling the Dice

Diane Garvey

Diane Garvey, frustrated in her search for a sales position, has started down a much different career path, and was one of the first to sign up for classes at MCCTI.

Diane Garvey was at a career crossroads. In a big way.

In her 50s, she had spent most of her career working at call centers, as an office manager, and mostly in sales positions, specifically in the candy business, supplying retailers with everything from M&Ms to Russell Stover samplings.

Her most recent position had been eliminated in a restructuring last August, and she spent the next several months in a decidedly futile search for something else. By late last year, with her unemployment benefits winding down, her stop at the crossroads ended, sort of, and she started down a road previously not available to her and one she probably couldn’t have imagined last July.

That would be the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute, or MCCTI, an acronym that is quickly working its way into the region’s workforce lexicon and into the vocabulary of people like Garvey.

She was on the ninth floor of 95 State St. in downtown Springfield last Monday, taking the first of six weeks of classes that will likely earn her an audition with MGM Springfield, the $950 million casino going up next door, and perhaps a job on the casino floor by early summer, a few months before the sprawling complex is set to open.

“I was unable to relocate into a different position, so I looked at what was available,” she explained. “With MGM coming to the area and all the publicity they’ve had lately and their reputation for being number one in the entertainment business, maybe the best plan would be to go to the dealer class.”

There are roughly 70 people signed up for the first set of classes at MCCTI, a joint venture of Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College and part of the schools’ hugely successful TWO (Training and Workforce Options) program, which has created training programs to qualify individuals for work in several fields.

For each one of those students, the story is a little different, even though they’ve chosen the same path. Some, like Garvey, are unemployed and looking toward the casino as a place to relaunch their careers. Others are retired or near retirement and looking for something part-time to help fill the day and put a little money in their pocket. Others have some experience working table games in casinos and look upon MGM Springfield as a way to parlay that experience into a job with one of the leading gaming and entertainment companies in the world.

Orlando Marrero can check that last box, and as he talked about what brought him to the ninth floor for the evening class of MCCTI, he borrowed an industry term.

“I rolled the dice,” Marrero, who has a seasonal job delivering propane, told BusinessWest, not once, but several times as he discussed his decision to relocate to the City of Homes and essentially position himself for a job with MGM Springfield when it opens.

With his experience, Marrero probably faces slightly better odds than many of the other students at MCCTI, but all those enrolled stand a good chance of winning a jackpot, in the form of a job, if they are diligent and also passionate about mastering what Alex Dixon, general manager of MGM Springfield, called a “craft.”

“Sometimes people think that you have to know or like table games or like casinos to get into this,” he explained. “This is a craft, and it’s a skill, and with a small investment, you can really become skilled for the rest of your life. As long as you can pass an audition, you’re employable, and these jobs are in high demand.”

Dixon said the casino will need roughly 450 table-games workers and poker dealers when the casino opens, and he admits that MGM has its work cut out for it to not only meet that number but succeed with a much larger goal — sustainability.

“We have our work cut out for us,” he told BusinessWest. “And this is ongoing; we’re looking forward to developing a long-term pipeline of people in Western Mass. who want to choose an opportunity with us.”

For this issue and its focus on workforce development, BusinessWest talked with Marrero and Garvey about their decision to enroll in MCCTI, and with Dixon and others about the many challenges involved with having the casino floor fully staffed by opening night.

Playing the Numbers

With this pipeline-building test in mind, MGM Springfield has taken a number of steps designed to generate interest in the school and prompt more people across that broad spectrum described above to consider careers in table games.

An instructor works with students of all ages on the first day of classes at MCCTI.

An instructor works with students of all ages on the first day of classes at MCCTI.

These include options when it comes to how many games one wishes to learn, flexibility in the scheduling of classes (they run morning, afternoon, and night); similar flexibility when it comes to hours of employment (there are full- and part-time jobs and several shifts); and even reimbursement of the tuition cost.

Still, with all those incentives and flexibility, creating a large, talented corps of table-games workers in an area new to the casino industry will be a daunting challenge, said Dixon.

But he’s hoping, and expecting, that some of the first students to enter the pipeline — people like Garvey and Marrero — will become effective spokespeople, if you will, and help in the recruiting effort.

This is exactly what happened at MGM’s property in Maryland, National Harbor, which opened just over a year ago. There, a school similar to MCCTI and operated in conjunction with Prince George’s (County) Community College, was instrumental in helping that facility staff up with table-games workers.

“In many cases, our best recruiting tool will be our current students,” he explained. “They can certainly help people understand that this is an opportunity; if you’re a recent retiree or you’re currently employed and are looking to pick up a couple of shifts a week, just about anyone with a good attitude can do this.”

Marrero hasn’t even been hired yet, and he’s already helping in this regard, with comments like these when asked about why he was looking forward to returning to the casino floor — sometime soon, he hopes.

“This is what I like doing,” he explained. “I like interacting with the customers; we have a good time. I have a ball when I’m dealing.”

Marrero was a dealer for several years at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. He relocated to Western Mass. so his wife could take a job here, and he has taken odd things (like delivering propane) since. He first contacted Holyoke Community College with inquiries about a dealer school about three years ago, and was one of the first to sign up for the initial cohort of classes.

“I haven’t been a dealer for seven years, and wanted to refresh myself,” he explained, “so I can work at the new casino.”

Overall, Marrero fits just one of many profiles that TWO administrators are seeing in the group signed up for the first cohort that started on Feb. 26, said Jeff Hayden, vice president of Business and Community Services at Holyoke Community College.

He told BusinessWest that students come in all age groups and with a host of different backgrounds. Some signed up looking for a new career; others arrived on the ninth floor at 95 State St. hoping to find something new, different, and fulfilling to do in their retirement.

Orlando Marrero is an experienced dealer who enrolled at MCCTI to refresh his skills and learn more games.

Orlando Marrero is an experienced dealer who enrolled at MCCTI to refresh his skills and learn more games.

“So far, we’ve had a good response, but we’re always looking for more people,” said Hayden. “We’re seeing a mix that reflects the region; we’ve had a significant number of people who have some experience and are looking for a refresher course, or they know two games and want to know four games.

“We’ve had more women than men, but the men are primarily the ones with the prior experience,” he went on. “Some are unemployed, but many others are employed, but feel they’re underemployed or in a dead-end position. Still others are looking for something new and different, and MGM appeals to them.”

Dixon told BusinessWest that widely diverse student bodies are typical at these so-called ‘dealer schools,’ which exist even in areas, like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, where the gaming industry has a huge presence. That’s because table-games workers will often seek to add to their skills by mastering new games or by refreshing themselves on ones they already know, perhaps with the goal of winning a supervisory position.

In markets like Greater Springfield, however, a larger number of students are being introduced to these games — and to careers in gaming.

Hayden said that students essentially sign on for a 10-week block of classes. The first six weeks are spent on a so-called ‘level 1’ class in either blackjack, roulette, craps, or poker. A student would then take a four-week ‘level-2’ class in everything from mini baccarat to pai gow poker to follow-up sessions in blackjack, roulette, and craps.

Successfully completing classes for two or more games guarantees the student an audition with MGM, said Hayden, adding that, if a student were so inclined, they could sign up for two 10-week blocks and learn three or four games, thus likely improving their odds for employment and perhaps advancement.

Those auditions could come as early as mid-spring, said Dixon, noting that MGM Springfield will begin hiring experienced table-games workers in April and early May, and will likely start the hiring process with the first MCCTI graduates around that same time, meaning they could be on the payroll by June.

With that timetable, Diane Garvey will likely need an extension of her unemployment benefits to get by — something individuals can apply for and something that is often granted to those enrolled in training programs like MCCTI.

She told BusinessWest that she didn’t come to her decision to enroll in these classes quickly or easily. Instead, after much consideration, she decided that this seemed like the most logical path to take from the crossroads she arrived at, and maybe the best fit.

“I would have interaction with people, which is what I liked most about sales,” she explained. “And to be in an exciting environment like MGM … I thought that would be good for me as well. It looked like an opportunity I wanted to pursue.”

Improving Their Odds

While each student currently enrolled at MCCTI has a different story and a different perspective, there is a common denominator: they all use that word ‘opportunity.’

They see MGM and a job on the casino floor as a chance to add a missing piece — whether that piece is a career that’s not at a dead end or a part-time position that can add an intriguing wrinkle to retirement.

In both cases and a host of others that fall somewhere in between, it’s an opportunity. And to seize that opportunity, many are doing just what Orlando Marrero decided he had to do.

Roll the dice.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Museum Sparks Attendance Records, Inspires New Plans

By
TourismMuseumFeature 0318a
Sections Tourism & Hospitality

Riding the Seuss Wave

Kay Simpson says the Seuss museum has fueled a surge in attendance

Kay Simpson says the Seuss museum has fueled a surge in attendance at all the museums at the Quadrangle.

Since it opened nine months ago, the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum has sparked a series of attendance records at the Quadrangle and driven visitorship higher at all five museums at the complex. Meanwhile, it is also inspiring museum officials to consider improvements to those other facilities, and plans are in the formative stage for renovations to the science museum.

Kay Simpson couldn’t recall the specific name of the exhibit; she just remembered that it featured what she called “robotic dinosaurs,” which were a huge hit and are still talked about 14 years after they made their appearance at the Springfield Museums.

Simpson, executive director of that venerable institution, brought up the dinosaurs as she talked, on Presidents Day, about the school vacation week ahead, and whether the Museums, buffeted by the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, which opened last June, could eclipse the record for winter-school-break attendance the dinosaur exhibit helped set.

“It will be really, really hard to top that mark,” she said. “People came from all over the see the dinosaurs. They roared, they moved, it was really exciting. I’m not sure that record will ever be broken.”

Turns out, she was right. The dinosaurs have kept their place atop the charts, due in part to a sunny day in the ’70s that prompted many families to head outdoors, not inside a museum.

But nearly nine months after the Seuss museum opened its doors, just about every other attendance mark has fallen. That includes the one for Columbus Day. And for the day after Thanksgiving. And for Christmas school vacation week.

Overall, the numbers are stunning. When the museum was being pitched to potential funders years ago, it was thought it would provide a 30% overall boost to attendance, said Simpson, noting, by way of comparison, that when the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History opened in 2009, the bump was roughly 12%.

Instead, attendance from June to August soared 300% above the total for that same period in 2016. In fact, attendance last summer equaled the mark for the entire year in 2016. As for the full year in 2017, attendance doubled the mark of the year previous, with only seven months of Seuss.

Looking ahead, well, officials don’t know just what to expect. They believe that, eventually, as more people take in the new museum, the pace of attendance growth will start to diminish, although it will still be significant, especially with MGM Springfield set to open in the fall. When ‘eventually’ will arrive, though, is a huge question mark, as the new museum continues to draw people from not only across the region but throughout the country and around the world.

Indeed, just a few months ago, surveys of attendees revealed that residents of all 50 states had found Springfield and the Seuss museum. The last one in? Neither Simpson nor Karen Fisk, director of Public Relations & Marketing, could recall exactly, but they believe it was one of the Dakotas.

The Seuss museum has brought many things to the Quadrangle — visitors, revenue, publicity, and momentum come to mind quickly. But also something else: the motivation and inspiration to upgrade other facilities at the site.

And officials would like to start with the still-popular, but often-maligned science museum, which has been described as ‘outdated’ and ‘static’ by many, including Baby Boomers who are bringing children and grandchildren to see the same exhibits they saw a half-century ago.

Simpson, while still proud of the facility and the ornate dioramas that in many ways define the facility, acknowledged that it is not as modern and interactive as this era demands, and the museum is putting preliminary plans on the drawing board to address these shortcomings.

“For the most part, people enjoy coming to the science museum; it’s a beloved institution,” she explained. “They just want it to move forward and be more exciting. They want us to bring it into the 21st century.”

The arch in front of the Seuss museum

The arch in front of the Seuss museum has become a sought-after backdrop for photos involving visitors from around the world.

And there are plans now taking shape to do just that, as we’ll see later. They call for taking many of the displays that have been behind glass for the most part and bringing them to life.

For this issue and its focus on tourism and hospitality, BusinessWest looks at both the incredible boost that the Seuss museum has provided for the Quadrangle and the plans to build on this momentum.

Rhyme and Reason

Simpson recalls that, when the Museums announced plans to put a colorful arch in front of the Seuss museum (the former history museum built like a stately home from the late 18th century), not everyone was pleased with the concept.

Indeed, there were some who thought the feature clashed architecturally with the classical buildings around it and wouldn’t be a good addition to the historic Quadrangle.

But, while some still think in those terms, this arch is rapidly becoming one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and sought-after photo backdrops. It’s not in the same league as the St. Louis Arch, that iconic ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada’ sign, or the Rialto Bridge in Venice, but … it’s getting there.

“People take pictures there … one woman celebrating her 50th birthday came to Springfield and danced under the arch,” said Simpson. “It’s celebratory; Dr. Seuss is very meaningful for a lot of people, and we see that in all those people taking pictures at the arch.”

The popularity of the arch is just one of many signs of the awesome power of Dr. Seuss, the characters he created, and the attachment people have to his work decades after they first read one of his books.

Others include the variety of license plates in the Museums’ parking lots; the huge increase in sales in the gift shop, where a large percentage of items are Seuss-themed; the vast amount of press the Seuss museum has garnered, from outlets ranging from the Denver Post to Architectural Digest to Condé Nast Traveler; and, of course, all those new attendance records.

But maybe the most intriguing, and also entertaining indicator of the author’s gravitational pull is the collection of comments in the guest books visitors are asked to sign.

Some, especially those penned by the very young, are short and simple, like ‘this is the best museum ever,’ in large, bold letters. Others reveal how far people have traveled to take it all in, like ‘so happy this museum has opened for all of us. Much love from Indiana,’ with a little heart drawn as a form of punctuation.

Some, however, take on the style of the author himself. There’s this one:

Can it be
Is it true
To see the Seuss
The way we do?
We traveled by car
All over the land
Only to find
Our fave childhood man
Thank you to the doc
Who made reading fun around the clock.

 

— Abigail & Steve, 6/16/17

And this one:

This place is great!
Not a single thing to hate
It was fun. It was silly
We came all the way from Philly!

— Erica & Jonathan, 6/13/17

Overall, the pages are dominated by prose, little hearts, some attempts to draw Seuss characters, and lots and lots of exclamation points.

And then, there was this entry, which no doubt caught the attention of museum administrators.

Hello, I think that
This is the best museum in all of Springfield. You are the
Best ever seriously
I would also like to say
That the Dr. Seuss museum brings life to this
museum!

From D.

Indeed it does, as was evident during school-vacation week, when, as noted, a near-record number of people took in not only the Seuss museum, but some of the other four museums on the site.

Most need to do that almost out of necessity, because the Seuss museum is relatively small and exceedingly popular, which means many visits to it are timed — an hour or so on average after arrival.

So visitors are using that time to also take in the history museum, the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, the George Walter Smith Art Museum, and the science museum.

So, while the arch is the gateway to the Seuss museum, that facility has become a gateway to the rest of the Quadrangle.

“We have building counts,” said Simpson. “And they show that every single museum got a bump since we opened the Dr. Seuss museum.”

And with this increased visitation comes recognition of the need to put these facilities on something approaching the Seuss museum in terms of earned hearts and exclamation points. Especially the science museum, originally opened in 1899, and for the reasons stated earlier.

“When we opened the Dr. Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden [in 2004], the most-often-asked question was ‘where is the Dr. Seuss Museum?’” said Simpson, adding that people logically thought there was one, only to learn, to their great disappointment, there wasn’t. “Then, after we announced creation of the Seuss museum, the most-often-asked question was ‘when is it going to open?’

“Now, the question we hear the most is ‘when are you going to renovate the science museum?’” she went on, adding that she doesn’t have a specific answer to the question. But the hope, and expectation, is that soon, those asked that question will be able to say, well, ‘soon.’

The Next Chapter

As she led BusinessWest on a quick walk-through of the science museum, which has been expanded several times since the 1930s, Simpson engaged in some multi-tasking.

She was pointing out, with discernable pride in her voice, the quality, beauty, and historical significance of those aforementioned dioramas, as well as their ability to bring visitors closer to the animals in question than they could ever get at a zoo or in the wild.

At the same time, though, she was explaining that, in this age of interactivity and digital technology, these displays are certainly static.

“To today’s audience, they’re a little dated, which isn’t to say kids don’t love to come look at them,” she explained. “But our intention is to make it more like the Seuss museum, which is a playful, totally immersive, interactive environment.”

With that in mind, the plan — again, still in the formative stage — is to make what’s behind the glass spill into the middle of the room.

“You can sit on a bench that’s a log,” Simpson explained. “You can play with these creatures that you would find out in the woods. The lamps that come down look like birds.”

Elaborating, she said that today, much can be done with dramatic lighting, and the museum plans to use it to create opportunities to take in a woodland scene, for example, in the morning, afternoon, and evening, just by visitor-activated lighting.

Preliminary plans call for making the science museum more modern and interactive.

Preliminary plans call for making the science museum more modern and interactive.

Meanwhile, the renovated displays will be multi-sensory, she went on, adding that visitors will be able to see, hear, touch, and even smell a number of different settings. The carpeting will be patterned to simulate the floor of the jungle, for example.

The second floor of the museum, meanwhile, will likely feature a Spark!Lab, the only one in the Northeastern U.S. Undertaken in conjunction with the Smithsonian (the Museums are an affiliate), Spark!Lab is a hands-on, STEM invention workspace where visitors can learn about and engage in the process of invention, said Simpson, adding that this addition will bring a new create a new level of interaction at the science museum and bring visitors back repeatedly.

“How perfect is that for Springfield, given its long history of innovation and firsts?” Simpson asked rhetorically, adding that the lab will be an exciting addition aimed at generating interest in the sciences through direct involvement.

All this is ambitious, said Simpson, and the museum will need to aggressively raise funds to make it happen. But initial talks with foundations and other funding sources is underway, and momentum created by the Seuss museum is generating enthusiasm to improve other facilities within the Quadrangle.

The plan is to take on the project in phases, she said, with phase one being lighting, carpeting, and renovation of the bathrooms. If all goes according to plan, these changes could be undertaken late this year or early next year.

Phase two would be the “complete immersion” she described earlier, which would come with a much larger price tag.

But there is a need, and now a commitment, to upgrade the facility.

“We’ve made the science museum a priority because people repeatedly ask us when we’ll update that facility; we’ve heard that on TripAdvisor, and we’ve heard that anecdotally,” said Simpson, adding that, while attendance is up at all the museums, again because of Seuss, the greatest surge has been recorded at the science museum, and to drive attendance higher, and bring people back, changes are needed.

The Last Word

As noted earlier, administrators at the Museums don’t know when — or even if — the power surge from the opening of the Seuss museum will start to lose some of its intensity.

They don’t know when or if the Quadrangle will stop setting attendance records for specific dates, weeks, or months between now and June. (Remember, winter break was an outlier due to those robotic dinosaurs and a summer-like Wednesday afternoon).

What they do know is that the Seuss museum has been inspirational, and not only to those from Philly who take to prose and note that the facility is silly. It is also inspiring those at the Quadrangle, who want to raise the bar across the board — and plan to start with the science museum.

If all goes as planned, it will likely earn some hearts and exclamation points itself. And maybe even some of that prose.

Kay Simpson will settle for people young and old saying they had an enriching learning experience.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Bradley Airport Reaches New Heights in Customer Focus

By
Sections Tourism & Hospitality

Pushing the Envelope

Additions at the food court

Additions at the food court comprise just one prong in a broad strategic initiative at Bradley International Airport to improve the customer experience.

Kevin Dillon recalled that, when he first started working at airports in mid-’70s, they were run almost like government facilities.

Translation: there were few, if any, frills, customer service was hardly a priority, and the notion of generating repeat customers didn’t really exist because, for the most part, customers didn’t have any choice but to return.

All that has changed over the ensuing decades, of course. Fliers do have choices, especially in this part of he country, where there are several airports within a two-hour drive. And they make their choices based on a variety of factors, but especially convenience and the quality of their experience (after all, they’re spending at least a few hours there, on average).

So today, every airport wants to be the airport of choice, including Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, said Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), which took over management of the facility in 2013.

And there are many factors that go into that equation, from the number of flights and, more specifically, the number of non-stop flights to the number and quality of restaurants at the facility; from ease of movement through the flying process to the overall customer experience.

And Bradley has been addressing all of them, said Dillon, referencing recent developments ranging from new non-stop service to St. Louis to a new $200 million transportation transit facility set to move off the drawing board (more on that later), to the addition of therapy dogs to help those anxious about flying.

“What we’re about at Bradley is convenience,” he told BusinessWest. “We know that’s what we’re selling as an airport, whether that’s convenient access to the airport or convenience once you get to the facility. So we have focused on improving overall customer service and the customer experience.”

Initiatives on these fronts are generating results that can be quantified in a number of ways, said Dillon, who started with the five consecutive years of year-over-year passenger growth Bradley has enjoyed since the CAA took over in 2013. That includes a 6.2% spike in 2017. He also noted that Condé Nast Traveler ranked Bradley the fifth-best airport in the U.S. it its latest Readers’ Choice Awards.

But while the passenger-growth numbers and votes from Condé Nast readers are compelling, Dillon said the airport has to keep pushing the envelope (that’s an aviation term, sort of) and find new and better ways to improve the customer experience.

“The airport business has become extremely competitive,” he noted. “So we’re constantly looking to differentiate ourselves from other options that travelers in our region have; we want to be that airport of choice, but we do know that travelers have options, so we have to keep looking for ways to improve the experience.”

For this issue and its focus on tourism and hospitality, BusinessWest talked at length with Dillon about Bradley’s focus on convenience and the many forms this mission takes.

Soaring Expectations

Perhaps the most obvious, and most important, aspect of customer service, Dillon said, is the number of flights being offered, or route development, as he called it.

And over the past several years, the airport has been working to add new flights for the convenience of all travelers, but especially business travelers.

“We know business travelers are looking for a greater menu of non-stop services at Bradley, so we’ve put a lot of attention and focus on development in general,” Dillon explained. “When we first took over the airport, we focused on bringing in West Coast connectivity as well as trans-Atlantic connectivity, and we’ve been able to accomplish both goals.”

With the former, the airport has added a popular flight to Los Angeles, he noted, and last year, seasonal, non-stop service to San Francisco was added to the portfolio, and efforts are ongoing to offer that service year-round.

Kevin Dillon

Kevin Dillon

Also, through the addition of carrier of Spirit Airlines, there are now a number of direct flights into a number of Florida cities, including Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers.

As for the latter, the daily Aer Lingus flight to Dublin introduced in September 2016 has becoming increasingly popular with area business and leisure flyers looking for a more convenient way to get to Europe than driving to and then flying out of Boston, New York, or New Jersey.

“That’s because it’s not only connectivity to Dublin, it’s connectivity to all of Europe,” said Dillon. “And there are 26 major cities that you can connect to very conveniently in Dublin with this flight.”

The overseas flight has thus far met or exceeded expectations, and the response from the business community has had a lot to do with that, he said, adding that, as might be expected, leisure travel to Europe drops off considerably in the fall and winter, and the business side of the equation has helped keep the planes reasonably full year-round.

As for the experience at the airport itself, those at Bradley have been attentive to this piece of the puzzle as well, said Dillon, focusing on such matters as security lead times, check-in times at the airline counters, the menu of restaurants, and, yes, programs such as therapy dogs.

When it comes to eateries, Phillips Seafood and Two Roads Brewery have been added to the mix in recent months, and they’ve been very well received, said Dillon, adding that travelers will likely have a decent amount of time to spend at such facilities because of efforts to help the process of getting bags checked and travelers through security.

Overall, there are some things an airport cannot control — travelers will still be asked to arrive 90 minutes before a flight, especially if it’s an international flight — but there are many things it can control, and those are the factors Bradley is focused on, said Dillon.

This extends, as he noted earlier, to access to the airport, and also what happens after one leaves.

And this mindset explains the facility’s new transportation center, now in the final design stages, which is being built to improve the overall customer experience.

“You’ll be able to fly into Bradley and connect via a walkway to this new facility right across from the terminal to get your rental car,” he explained. “No longer will you have to take a bus to that rental-car facility.”

The transportation facility will also serve as a transit hub for the various bus services into and out of Bradley, as a connecting point to the rail line that now connects Southern Connecticut with Springfield.

“We’re working to have every one of those trains stop at Windsor Locks, which is considered the airport train station, and then we’ll connect the new transportation center to the Windsor Locks train station via high-frequency bus service,” Dillon explained, adding that the ultimate goal is to directly connect the airport to that station with light rail.

Such rail connections will ultimately make life more convenient to business and leisure travelers alike, he went on, adding that they can fly into Bradley and connect, via rail, to a host of other cities, similar to how it’s done in Europe.

Plane Speaking

When the CAA took over operations at Bradley, it was handling roughly 5.5 million passengers a year. Fewer than five years later, the total is 6.5 million.

That’s a significant increase that came about through a broad, multi-faceted approach to improving convenience and the overall customer experience.

But as they say in this business, Bradley is merely gaining altitude. It can soar much higher still, and Dillon and his team are committed to doing just that.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Picture This

By
Departments Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

Room to Grow

Big Y’s distribution center on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield, which now supports 70 supermarkets with more planned, will soon be expanded from its current, 189,000-square-foot space to 425,000 square feet, requiring an additional 32 full-time employees at the site. Big Y announced the project, expected to cost between $35 million and $40 million, on Feb. 23. Below (top to bottom): from left, Kevin Kennedy, Springfield’s chief Development officer; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Claire D’Amour-Daley, Big Y’s vice president of Corporate Communications; and Big Y President Charlie D’Amour.  Middle: D’Amour speaks to the crowd gathered for the announcement. Bottom: Sarno, D’Amour, and D’Amour-Daley with Big Y employees.



Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of February 2018.

CHICOPEE

Bob Bolduc, Roberta Bolduc
27 Montgomery St.
$17,500 — Remodel inside of Pride store to relocate soda self-service area

Cebula Electronics
637 Front St.
$73,050 — Install new roof, interior and exterior renovations

EASTHAMPTON

Bialy Dom Farm, LLC
42 West St.
$14,500 — Demolish and remove two-story barn

Eastworks, LLP
116 Pleasant St.
$35,000 — Construct interior partitions for indoor mini-golf

Williston Northampton School
37 Park St.
$135,000 — Install fire-suppression system in new dorm facility

EAST LONGMEADOW

East Longmeadow Wellness Center
250 North Main St.
$42,100 — Fire sprinkler system

Irina’s Alterations
100 Shaker Road
$3,300 — Fire-protection system

HADLEY

Gulmohar Realty Corp.
237 Russell St.
$1,800 — Two signs

Pride, LP
25 Russell St.
$27,000 — Install fabricated ductwork, commission rooftops and balance system

Pride, LP
25 Russell St.
$3,100 — Six signs for new Pride store

Young Men’s Club of Hadley Inc.
138 East St.
$49,000 — Expand existing building

NORTHAMPTON

Aquadro & Associates Insurance
355 Bridge St.
$2,000 — Illuminated sign

Cutchins Center for Families & Children
17 Brewster Court
$32,000 — Remodel office, including new window, sink, entry door, and separate storage space for client use

Florence Savings Bank
85 Main St.
$65,500 — Minor office renovation

Maureen McGuinness, Peter St. Martin
223 Pleasant St.
$275,000 — Three new toilet rooms, new bar layout, new accessible ramp, renovate finishes in dining area at Roberto’s

Northampton Historical Society
46 Bridge St.
$45,780 — Install 31 solar panels at Damon House

River Valley Market
330 North King St.
$16,906 — Install new electric door at entrance

Safe Passage Inc.
76 Carlon Dr.
$242,241 — Renovate building, making three tenant spaces into two

Konstantinos Sierros
99 Main St.
$8,000 — Remove staircase, construct walk-in keg cooler for JJ’s Tavern

SPRINGFIELD

Amerco Real Estate Co.
88 Birnie Ave.
$3,500 — Demo three previously infilled windows and install new windows in existing openings

Best Fitness
1739 Allen St.
$445,000 — Renovations to locker areas, create spinning room

CCA
3550 Main St.
$14,350 — Add three hand-washing stations to existing medical space on first floor

Children’s Study Home
30 Sherman St.
$4,000 — Build wall to divide room into two rooms for use as office space

City of Springfield
474 Armory St.
$2,021,000 — Window and door replacement at Zanetti School

City of Springfield
180 Cooley St.
$5,274,500 — Window and door replacement at Kiley Middle School

Five Town Station, LLC
380 Cooley St.
$3,000 — Demolition of two bathrooms and one door opening for future build-out of tenant space

MassMutual
1500 Main St.
$345,000 — Interior fit-out of tenant space on first floor for Westfield Bank

Mzion Corp.
1341 Main St.
$35,657 — Renovate existing space by removing old millwork and partition walls, erect platform for display and register, patch walls and hang slat wall for displays

Norley Realty Inc.
350 Albany St.
$18,000 — Remove three antennas and add three RRUs to cell tower

WESTFIELD

Tario Mahmood, Rizwana Mahmood
397 Little River Road
$2,000 — Relocate window, re-side front of building

Stephen Oleksak, Susan Oleksak
994 Western Ave.
$1,675,000 — Solar field

Anthony Rix
164 Elm St.
Roof replacement

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Home Depot USA Inc.
179 Daggett St.
$115,000 — Install new kitchens and appliances displays and fixtures, move existing racking to new area

Kudlic Bros. Inc.
1419 Union St.
$5,900 — Changes to building, electrical, and plumbing

Springfield Country Club, LLC
1375 Elm St.
$14,500 — Repair water damage to card room

WILBRAHAM

O Ice, LLC
1855 Boston Road
$5,400 — Create new office space in existing interior space

Palazzesi Realty, LLC
2141 Boston Road
$10,950 — Install partitions for new hair salon

Real Estate Transactions

By
Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

70 Buckland Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Sandra McArthur RET
Seller: Priscilla L. Phelps
Date: 02/01/18

515 Main St.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Helen I. Hall LT
Seller: Walter D. Zalenski
Date: 01/31/18

Steady Lane
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Joshua H. Porter
Seller: Norbert J. Salz
Date: 01/31/18

BERNARDSTON

51 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Anderson
Seller: David W. Hastings
Date: 01/31/18

126 Northfield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Gavin R. Cairl
Seller: Wilmer O. Johnson
Date: 02/07/18

BUCKLAND

59-1/2 Prospect St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $235,800
Buyer: Mia I. Radysh
Seller: Apple RT 3
Date: 02/06/18

CONWAY

South Part Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Franklin Land Trust Inc.
Seller: Janet D. Ryan
Date: 02/05/18

DEERFIELD

6 Lee Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Champion Mortgage Co.
Date: 01/29/18

14 Sawmill Plain Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Orion Becker
Seller: Elizabeth M. Purnell TR
Date: 01/29/18

ERVING

6 Moore St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Thomas N Duffy
Seller: Nicholis F. Lapan
Date: 02/07/18

GREENFIELD

21 Garfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Michael A. Hebert
Seller: Jennifer C. Swartz
Date: 01/31/18

83 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $124,400
Buyer: Archelon Properties LLC
Seller: Kathleen G. Ainsworth
Date: 02/09/18

31 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Heidi Fortin
Seller: Cameron T. Gray
Date: 01/30/18

87 Thayer Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Meredith C. Lively
Seller: Thayer Road RT
Date: 02/02/18
1 Wheeler Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Parmar Properties North
Seller: Helga L. Schmidt
Date: 01/29/18

18 Wheeler Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Parmar Properties North
Seller: Helga L. Schmidt
Date: 01/29/18

103 Wildwood Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Thomas W. Klansek
Seller: Vladimir Agapov
Date: 02/07/18

MONTAGUE

177-179 Avenue A
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $168,333
Buyer: 177 LLC
Seller: Equity TR Inc.
Date: 02/07/18

14 Letourneau Way
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Luis Moreno
Seller: Mario Moreno
Date: 01/30/18

1 Linda Lane
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Blanche T. Koblinski
Date: 02/02/18

95 South Prospect St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Joshua K. Lacosse
Seller: Peter P. Chmyzinski
Date: 02/02/18

NORTHFIELD

692 Pine Meadow Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Anna M. Reid
Seller: Amy S. Biddle
Date: 02/01/18

ORANGE

220 Dana Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Angelo G. Poulos
Seller: North Quabbin Brook RT
Date: 01/31/18

277 Walnut Hill Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Yarelyn Martinez-Haddock
Seller: Maureen S. Desautels
Date: 01/31/18

SHELBURNE

10 Wilson Graves Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Mark C. Carlisle
Seller: Michele M. Beaudoin
Date: 02/07/18

SHUTESBURY

15 Hawks View Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $598,875
Buyer: Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin
Seller: Kathleen R. Lugosch
Date: 01/30/18

38 Laurel Dr.
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Christopher W. Cummings
Seller: Philip A. Lemere
Date: 01/29/18

SUNDERLAND

82 Hadley Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $263,900
Buyer: Colleen A. Campbell
Seller: Dzenis, Blanche J., (Estate)
Date: 02/09/18

WHATELY

83 North St.
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Paul H. Bordua
Seller: Donald M. Scott
Date: 02/09/18

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

9 Ridgeview Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Gary W. Peiffer
Seller: Kenneth A. Lindeland
Date: 02/08/18

24 Yarmouth Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: William A. Garvin
Seller: Bobby L. Colvin
Date: 01/31/18

AMHERST

41 East Hadley Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Gregory R. Haughton
Seller: Lourdes Morales
Date: 01/31/18

133 Flat Hills Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $293,000
Buyer: Albert Y. Kim
Seller: Jones FT
Date: 01/31/18

48 Morgan Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $412,500
Buyer: Steven B. Kurtz
Seller: Arrelle R. Cook RET
Date: 02/01/18

161 Pomeroy Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $284,830
Buyer: Lawrence A. Peltz
Seller: Peter S. Choi
Date: 01/31/18

BELCHERTOWN

35 Clark St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Caitlin P. Cobb
Seller: Aaron Guimond
Date: 01/31/18

BLANDFORD

6 Blandford Dr.
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: James W. Marlor
Seller: Ralph J. Damato
Date: 01/31/18

BRIMFIELD

Blandford Dr.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: James W. Marlor
Seller: Ralph J. Damato
Date: 01/31/18

42 Champeaux Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $467,841
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Douglas Kirkpatrick
Date: 02/01/18

285 Webber Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: A&B Automotive Properties LLC
Seller: Gregory Reilly
Date: 02/02/18

CHICOPEE

461 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Mahdi Mousali
Seller: East Green Street Properties
Date: 01/30/18

524 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Amat Victoria Curam LLC
Seller: Maddox Realty LLC
Date: 01/31/18

23 Dallaire Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Chun J. Chen
Seller: Alfred J. Labrie
Date: 02/09/18

128 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $168,300
Buyer: Pamela B. Davis
Seller: John J. O’Neill
Date: 02/09/18

138 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $183,900
Buyer: Daniel E. Perez
Seller: Timothy E. Elliott
Date: 01/31/18

27 Edmund St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Alyssa Stoakley
Seller: Melissa A. Quinn
Date: 02/02/18

78 Lukasik St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Basilio Perez
Seller: Jeffrey S. Sattler
Date: 02/02/18

28 Maple St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Yekaterina A. Alekseyeva
Seller: Tammy L. Audet
Date: 01/29/18

39 Maryland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $192,500
Buyer: Don Pops-Marks
Seller: Edward J. Polchlopek
Date: 02/01/18

76 Oakwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $136,300
Buyer: Laura T. Boone
Seller: Brian M. Geraghty
Date: 01/31/18

51 Shaw Park Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $163,800
Buyer: Anthony Vega-Vargas
Seller: Sead Bajrami
Date: 02/05/18

EASTHAMPTON

282 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $357,500
Buyer: Jared T. Larkin
Seller: Alexandra L. Dodge
Date: 01/31/18

EAST LONGMEADOW

15 Hanward Hill
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $209,900
Buyer: Shirley Montovani
Seller: William H. Craft
Date: 01/31/18

27 Maryland St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Juan M. Garcia-Ramos
Seller: C&M Builders LLC
Date: 02/08/18

68 North Circle Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Jason M. Noga-McDonald
Seller: Leo M. Lortie
Date: 02/01/18

180 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Joseph M. Bednarz
Seller: Pearl F. Keinath
Date: 01/30/18

329 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Donald M. Stevens
Seller: Krista Santaniello
Date: 01/30/18

583 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Bailey Property Mgmt. LLC
Seller: Virginia S. Blake
Date: 02/07/18

22 Susan St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Daniel S. Burack 2018 IRT
Seller: James M. Evitts
Date: 02/01/18

56 Waterman Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Michael Carabetta
Seller: Aiello, Rosangela, (Estate)
Date: 02/02/18

GRANVILLE

541 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Robert M. Stephan
Seller: Stanley, Kathleen F., (Estate)
Date: 01/31/18

HAMPDEN

25 Evergreen Terrace
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Fred Ginsberg
Seller: Robert F. Wells
Date: 01/31/18

722 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: George Courtemanche
Seller: Fisher, Arlene L., (Estate)
Date: 01/29/18

138 Mountain Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Andrew S. Haynes
Seller: Anne W. Collins
Date: 02/08/18

HATFIELD

3 The Jog
Hatfield, MA 01039
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Richard C. Jones
Seller: Craig Latham
Date: 01/30/18

HOLLAND

21 Dug Hill Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Justin R. Frenier
Seller: Maple Ledge Associates
Date: 02/01/18

HOLYOKE

1 Bassett Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $216,000
Buyer: Luis E. Sumba-Morocho
Seller: Noelle M. Bonnevie
Date: 01/30/18

16 Brightwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Josue Lopez
Seller: Dulude, Lena E., (Estate)
Date: 01/29/18

60 Cherry Hill
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Michael J. Lynch
Seller: Ellen M. Sullivan
Date: 01/31/18

30 Cleveland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Joshua S. Beauregard
Seller: Jeffrey A. Trask
Date: 02/05/18

291 Elm St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Sic Infit LLC
Seller: Nickerson Properties LLC
Date: 02/01/18

47-49 Hitchcock St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: Chevonne Machuca
Seller: Deborah J. Brunelle
Date: 02/02/18

25 Longfellow Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Charles W. Aurnhammer
Seller: Edmund G. Woods
Date: 01/31/18

10 Merkel Terrace
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Michael C. O’Connell
Seller: Kevin A. Bodley
Date: 02/09/18

388 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $199,500
Buyer: Juan C. Burgos
Seller: John P. Lecca
Date: 02/09/18

37 Princeton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Joseph Rosinski
Seller: MTGLQ Investors LP
Date: 02/01/18

LONGMEADOW

67 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $324,000
Buyer: Amanda C. Berry
Seller: Richard S. Baker
Date: 02/01/18

951 Converse St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $749,000
Buyer: Obioma A. Princewill
Seller: Sodi Inc.
Date: 02/02/18

172 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Cervasio
Seller: Patrick D. Gleason
Date: 01/31/18

68 Hopkins Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Emily R. Shotland
Seller: Ann M. Jagodowski
Date: 02/01/18

1214 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $345,200
Buyer: Dwayne N Joyce
Seller: Melissa R. Sheerin-Bshara
Date: 02/07/18

189 Magnolia Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Michael P. Landry
Seller: Theodore J. Maresh
Date: 01/31/18

89 Morningside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $340,600
Buyer: Gabriel A. Radu
Seller: Linda A. Spataro
Date: 02/02/18

16 Shady Knoll Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Fijal
Seller: Mary Ricco
Date: 02/08/18

59 Tedford Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Arif Malik
Seller: Michael Izenstein
Date: 02/06/18

LUDLOW

57 Barre Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Scott A. Theriault
Seller: Wilson, Edna I., (Estate)
Date: 02/05/18

80-82 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Anna S. Rodrigo
Seller: Center Street Funding TR
Date: 01/29/18

106 Church St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Michael J. Tenerowicz
Seller: Gloria J. Vaughan-Dawson
Date: 01/31/18

16 Duke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Kevin Brown
Seller: Brandon B. Henry
Date: 01/29/18

80 Hunter Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Amber L. Goodreau
Seller: Valda B. Perham
Date: 02/08/18

242 James St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: David Lengieza
Seller: Sandra M. Lengieza
Date: 01/29/18

155 Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $446,400
Buyer: Daniel Coelho
Seller: Armand Deslauriers
Date: 01/31/18

9 Pleasantview St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Evelyn Core
Seller: Amy C. Paquette
Date: 01/30/18

63 Ray St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Amanda L. Caloon
Seller: Nicholas T. Lopata
Date: 01/29/18

178 Reynolds St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Marsha L. Burek
Seller: Lee Roque
Date: 01/30/18

32-34 Sewall St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Manuel R. Coelho
Seller: Michelle Santos-Nunes
Date: 01/30/18

59 Windwood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $387,000
Buyer: Miriam N Santiago
Seller: Isidoro P. Fernandes
Date: 02/02/18

MONSON

181 Stafford Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $233,000
Buyer: Chelsea L. Socha
Seller: Beverly M. Harnois
Date: 01/30/18

MONTGOMERY

134 New State Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Timothy D. Wolcott
Seller: David S. Wolcott
Date: 02/08/18

NORTHAMPTON

98 Morningside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $374,900
Buyer: Hadassah Gurfein
Seller: Kathleen M. Lemay
Date: 02/01/18

73 Redford Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $142,885
Buyer: USA VA
Seller: Edward R. Blanchard
Date: 01/31/18

PALMER

Baptist Hill Road #15
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Pedro D. Fernandes
Seller: Thomas K. Topor
Date: 01/29/18

3 Fieldstone Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Matthew E. Blanchard
Seller: Stephen C. Connors
Date: 02/07/18

1317 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: FSG Realty LLC
Seller: Peter V. Scagliarini
Date: 02/09/18

1535 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $124,740
Buyer: Malgorzata B. Pasieka
Seller: Justin R. Beaulieu
Date: 01/31/18

91 State St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Brian Rollet
Seller: Olive Kapinos
Date: 02/02/18

RUSSELL

51 Highland Ave.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Robert Escalante
Seller: Corey R. Sampson
Date: 02/09/18

SOUTH HADLEY

5 Burnett Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Timothy Cote
Seller: Emilio Frattaruolo
Date: 01/30/18

48 Charon Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Bryan Pelchat
Seller: Heather L. Putnam
Date: 01/31/18

15 Pershing Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Alberts House LLC
Seller: VanBelle FT
Date: 01/31/18

70 Woodbridge St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Karen S. Donnelly
Seller: Matthew S. Bertuzzi
Date: 01/31/18

SOUTHAMPTON

36 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Timothy M. Smith
Seller: Chicoine, Ruth E., (Estate)
Date: 01/31/18

3 Mountain View Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $203,000
Buyer: Vanessa J. Rice
Seller: Lisa M. Murdock
Date: 01/29/18

SOUTHWICK

5 Evergreen St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Tyler Burnham
Seller: Michelle Seelig
Date: 02/05/18

28 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: James E. Jannene
Seller: Norman R. Betournay
Date: 02/02/18

138 Feeding Hills Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Miroslav Tkach
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 01/31/18

20 Gillette Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jesse M. Veprauskas
Seller: James A. Chaffee
Date: 01/31/18

62 Lakeview St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Maureen F. Manfredi
Seller: Donald McCullers
Date: 02/02/18

11 Overlook Lane
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Brenda Loguidice
Seller: Pinnacle Estates At the Ranch
Date: 01/30/18

45 Pineywood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: John Wackerbarth
Date: 02/08/18

SPRINGFIELD

200 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Joseph H. Sasen
Seller: Leo E. Florence
Date: 01/30/18

1554 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $217,900
Buyer: Jyovani Joubert
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 01/30/18

691 Berkshire Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Luis Cuevas
Seller: C&K Blue Sky Properties
Date: 01/29/18

148 Bolton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Diplomat Property Manager
Seller: Sharon A. Jones
Date: 01/31/18

95 Breckwood Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Simon J. Garcia-Aparicio
Seller: Eagle Home Buyers LLC
Date: 01/31/18

20 Briarcliff St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Galang Nguyen
Seller: Kha V. Lam
Date: 02/09/18

14 Campechi St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Jim A. Rivera-Delrio
Seller: Modica TR
Date: 01/31/18

11 Deepfield Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Kenneth J. Wilson
Seller: Carmen E. Arroyo
Date: 01/31/18

193 Corona St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Juan C. Rodriguez
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 02/07/18

32-34 Dunmoreland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $205,683
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Hallam Scantlebury
Date: 01/30/18

204 East Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $204,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Petty
Seller: Brahman Holdings LLC
Date: 02/01/18

60 East Bay Path Terrace
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $162,839
Buyer: Avet RT
Seller: Hampden Homebuyers LLC
Date: 02/07/18

95 Fargo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Kianna J. Pressley
Seller: Brahman Holdings LLC
Date: 02/05/18

40 Gardens Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Nicholas E. Duncan
Seller: Angela R. Barnett
Date: 01/31/18

94 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Tyler P. Ottaviani
Seller: Mary Beard
Date: 02/08/18

65 Glenvale St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Michael J. McLaughlin
Seller: Danette L. Krushel
Date: 02/08/18

74 Gresham St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Jazziah Serrano
Seller: Oussama Awkal
Date: 01/31/18

35-37 Hall St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: 35 Hall Street LLC
Seller: WB Real Estate Holdings
Date: 02/01/18

137 Hanson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: North Harlow 5 LLC
Seller: Champagne, Olive G. T., (Estate)
Date: 01/31/18

60 Harrow Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $161,800
Buyer: Eugene Fisher TR
Seller: Marc Allen
Date: 02/06/18

43 Holly Hill Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jonathan Vanegas
Seller: Paul W. Suchecki
Date: 01/31/18

66-68 Holly St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Samuel S. Fernandes
Seller: Silver P. Serra
Date: 01/30/18

31 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jared Johnson
Seller: Nu Way Homes Inc.
Date: 02/09/18

17-19 Leete St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Patricia E. Meshack
Seller: JJJ 17 LLC
Date: 01/31/18

26 Lenn Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $189,900
Buyer: Robert F. Martin
Seller: David F. O’Brien
Date: 01/31/18

18-20 Lombard St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Valley Castle Holdings
Seller: Silverio Tavarez
Date: 01/31/18

70 Martel Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Maria E. Leger
Seller: Evelee Acevedo
Date: 02/09/18

163-165 Maynard St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $122,500
Buyer: Nicholas Adams
Seller: Salgo LLC
Date: 02/06/18

190 Middlesex St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Ferris F. Shelton
Seller: Gerri Fitch
Date: 02/09/18

57 Mohawk Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Morris Reid
Seller: Julie G. Foster
Date: 02/08/18

114 Norfolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Lynne M. Malone
Seller: Wayne F. Trahan
Date: 01/30/18

809 North Branch Pkwy.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Westvue NPL T. 2
Seller: Cheryl D. Figueroa
Date: 01/31/18

42 North Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Donna J. Scibelli
Seller: Rita M. Smith
Date: 01/30/18

33 Oak Hollow Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $183,000
Buyer: Carol A. Ouellette
Seller: Michael P. Meunier
Date: 01/29/18

41 Olive St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Jose Olique-Ortiz
Seller: Brothers In Law Realty
Date: 01/29/18

31-33 Parkside St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Walkis Figueroa
Seller: William Raleigh
Date: 02/05/18

91 Pineywoods Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Vose
Seller: Galen B. Young
Date: 01/31/18

1294 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $140,667
Buyer: Andrew W. Vivenzio
Seller: Mary F. Vivenzio
Date: 01/30/18

75 Pocantico Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Western Mass. Property Development
Seller: Ryan Lombardini
Date: 02/09/18

148 Spikenard Circle
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $176,900
Buyer: Coralynn M. Burr
Seller: Mark D. Rowe
Date: 02/02/18

17-19 Standish St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Jose M. Lopez
Seller: Joseph M. Santaniello
Date: 02/09/18

235 State St. #C15
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Fermin Reyes
Seller: Mark A. Pessolano
Date: 01/31/18

45 Steuben St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Mai Vo
Seller: Bernard A. Fish
Date: 01/31/18

1032 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jacob J. McBride
Seller: Filomena Dibenedetto
Date: 01/31/18

111 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Maria S. Ramos
Seller: Joseph Bednarz
Date: 01/30/18

48 Thorndyke St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Home Equity Assets Realty
Seller: Home Equity Assets Realty
Date: 02/05/18

60 Tinkham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Kelly S. Macneil
Seller: Christopher Robinson
Date: 02/01/18

62-64 Watling St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Hosea O. Holder
Seller: Roberto H. Valverde
Date: 01/29/18

22 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jose M. Lopez
Seller: David A. Faita
Date: 02/08/18

250 Winton St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Margorie Perez
Seller: David C. Bush
Date: 01/31/18

WALES

13 Lake Shore Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michael J. Graveline
Date: 01/30/18

WESTFIELD

10 Laurel Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Jennifer Kielbasa
Seller: Jean C. Girardin
Date: 02/09/18

26 Livingstone Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Anne V. Fisk
Seller: Nancy A. Fehling
Date: 02/06/18

94 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Polish National Credit Union
Seller: Thomas F. Cusack
Date: 01/30/18

79 Notre Dame St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: JS Sampson Development
Seller: Charlene M. Sampson
Date: 01/30/18

15 Reed St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,900
Buyer: Vincent P. Nitri
Seller: Gina Berte
Date: 02/02/18

38 Ridgeway St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Ernest C. Puza
Seller: Janosik Realty LLC
Date: 02/05/18

82 Ridgeview Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Scott F. Schumann
Seller: Donna M. Edwards
Date: 01/30/18

3 Sibley Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $117,670
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Marretta O. Dyer
Date: 02/05/18

5 Sibley Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $117,670
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Marretta O. Dyer
Date: 02/05/18

29 Sunrise Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $224,100
Buyer: MTGLQ Investors LP
Seller: William S. Belfar
Date: 01/30/18

5 Sycamore St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Sofiya Panasyuk
Seller: Ivan Mokan
Date: 02/09/18

WILBRAHAM

23 Brooklawn Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Brian A. Jalonen
Seller: Stratton Renovation LLC
Date: 01/31/18

8 Brookmont Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Amy C. Paquette
Seller: James R. Algie
Date: 01/30/18

8 Bruuer Ave.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Daniel T. Corthell
Seller: Matthew E. Blanchard
Date: 02/07/18

15 Old Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Justin A. Melbourne
Seller: Kyung W. Kim
Date: 01/31/18

3 Sherwin Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $411,500
Buyer: Finlay Oguku
Seller: AC Homebuilding LLC
Date: 01/30/18

3 Russell Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Michelle Patrick
Date: 02/05/18

237 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Epifanio Sanchez-Vega
Seller: Andrew J. Harrington
Date: 02/02/18

WEST SPRINGFIELD

22 Calvin Circle
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Heather M. Sliwa
Seller: Kathleen M. Sliwa
Date: 02/06/18

15 Cataumet Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $356,654
Buyer: Ansar Mamedov
Seller: HSBC Bank
Date: 02/08/18

20 Churchill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Virginia Dechristopher
Seller: MAA Property LLC
Date: 01/31/18

11 Dale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $184,900
Buyer: Amber L. Rogers
Seller: Lisa A. Hraba
Date: 01/29/18

19 Heritage Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: William D. Berte
Seller: Thomas J. McNamara
Date: 02/02/18

44 Hummingbird Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Richard Wentzel
Seller: Michael D. Waldron
Date: 02/05/18

104 Kings Hwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Santonya Jackson
Seller: US Bank
Date: 01/30/18

161 Robinson Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Michael J. Hearn
Seller: Gentile, Mary J., (Estate)
Date: 02/02/18

177 West Autumn Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Essam AlRubaei
Seller: Francoise M. Godbout
Date: 01/30/18

1520 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $163,236
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Bernard St.Martin
Date: 01/29/18

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

11 Ladyslipper Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $638,821
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Felicity Mbanefo
Date: 02/07/18

BELCHERTOWN

144 North Washington St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Chanya Sae-Eaw
Seller: Sherry E. Bellavance
Date: 02/07/18

35 Summit St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $264,900
Buyer: Deborah O’Neil
Seller: John H. Roberts
Date: 02/09/18

CUMMINGTON

10 Main St.
Cummington, MA 01026
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Nicole C. Fellows
Seller: Taylor, John R., (Estate)
Date: 02/06/18

EASTHAMPTON

69 Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: David A. Nadroski
Seller: Alfred J. Albano
Date: 02/09/18

GRANBY

407 Batchelor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Steven M. Wick
Seller: Raymond J. Giroux
Date: 02/06/18

76-R Harris St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $182,500
Buyer: Anthony Kowal
Seller: Yoeuy Chhung
Date: 02/05/18

HADLEY

2 Comins Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $341,000
Buyer: Philip C. Ciccarelli
Seller: William E. O’Neil
Date: 02/09/18

152 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Valerie K. Hood
Seller: Vadas, Edward R., (Estate)
Date: 02/05/18

HUNTINGTON

18 Laurel Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Peter Noga
Date: 02/05/18

163 Worthington Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Horton FT
Seller: James H. Moore
Date: 02/09/18

NORTHAMPTON

9 Crosby St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Christopher Karney
Seller: Frank E. Sadlowski
Date: 02/09/18

43 Finn St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,500
Buyer: Jaya R. Agrawal
Seller: McCutcheon Development
Date: 02/08/18

16 Winslow Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: Flippin Good Home Buyers
Seller: Arthur W. Pontbriant
Date: 02/09/18

SOUTH HADLEY

515 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $449,900
Buyer: Brett A. Remillard
Seller: Polish American Citizens
Date: 02/09/18

35 Highland Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Normand R. Girardin
Seller: Luis Builders Inc.
Date: 02/09/18

53 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Jessica Egan
Seller: Thomas E. Kelly
Date: 02/09/18

70 Washington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Valley Building Co. Inc.
Seller: Mark R. Plante
Date: 02/06/18

SOUTHAMPTON

4 Fomer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Jacob E. Gold
Seller: Marc T. Jillson
Date: 02/09/18

4 Nicole Circle
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Marc T. Jillson
Seller: Mark R. Bonczek
Date: 02/09/18

WILLIAMSBURG

15 North Farms Road
Williamsburg, MA 01062
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Joanna G. Vaughn
Seller: Julie E. Berube
Date: 01/31/18

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies Departments

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Bonnivier, Christopher O.
Bonnivier, Linda J.
a/k/a Rancourt, Linda J.
13 Beech St.
Adams, MA 01220
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Boulerice, Julia
115 Main St., Apt. 8
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Bridges, Antwain L.
367 Orange St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Briggs, Thomas Edward
107 Red Fox Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Burgos, Andrew
Burgos, Gwendolyn
38 Littleton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Casey, Daniel
Casey, Linda
37 Dana St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Chistolini, Karen R.
52 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Claudio, Joselito
303 Maple St., Apt. 327
Springfield, MA 01105
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Clifford, Amanda M.
27 Janelle Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/18

Colemon, Dennis
49 Cortland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Craig, Andreas
21 Hillmont St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Curran, Linda M.
51 Louise St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Davis, Robert W.
44 Stagecoach Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Deida, Aida
67 Haumont Terrace
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Diane’s Home Day Care
Johnson, Diane E.
42 Bliss St.
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Farley, Deborah L.
177 Marion St., Exit 2
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Frieri, Gino S.
PO Box 2331
Pittsfield, MA 01202
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/18

Gonzales, Antonio
181 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Graves, Scott D.
Graves, Jennifer J.
23 Hollywood St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Guba, Eric C.
186 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Iglesias, Jeanene D.
21B Gold St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/30/18

Isernhagen, Denise J.
35 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Jackson, Yvette
a/k/a Morales, Yvette
a/k/a Rosario, Yvette
31 Davis St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Landry, Linda A.
29-31 Bloomfield St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Leger, Karen E.
48 Scantic Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Ogg, Norman
Ogg, Sheila
147 LaBelle Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/26/18

Ortiz, Maribel
101 Saint Kolbe Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Persson, Mark A.
5 King St.
Royalston, MA 01368
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/21/18

Pybas, Charles E.
345 Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Restoration Specialties
Eaton, Wendell Scott
Eaton, Alice Knox
74 Williston Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Rodgers, Martin D.
13 Magnolia Terrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Rogowski, Theresa A.
14 Austin St.
Barre, MA 01005
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Rubin, Bonnie D.
4 Laura Ave., Apt. 2
Easthampton, MA 01027
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Sanchez, Jose Daniel
3 Hill Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/19/18

Shoefly Shoe Salons, LLC,
Clark, William T.
4 Shepards Hollow
Leeds, MA 01053
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Spafford, Amanda J.
a/k/a Lengieza, Amanda J.
30 Olivine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/18/18

Staley, Lisa M.
a/k/a Wallace, Lisa M.
a/k/a Staley, Lisa Wallace
60 King St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/17/18

Stepus, Tatyana
76 Chateaugay St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Thomas, Cynthia D.
120- 122 Fargo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Thompson, George E.
50 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/29/18

Tremblay, Doreen E.
1209 Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/24/18

Valle Vale International
Valle-Martinez, Ana M.
91 Elmore Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/25/18

Vazquez-Velez, Argelis Joel
238 Cottage St.
Athol, MA 01331
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Vieu, Keith R.
Vieu, Carla L.
25 Pebblemill Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/23/18

Walter, Peter Vincent
140 Hutchinson Lane
Cheshire, MA 01225
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Williams, Tamara A.
145 Sumner Ave., Apt. 8
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/22/18

Winiarski, John A.
Winiarski, Debora M.
22 Lord Terrace North
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 13
Filing Date: 01/30/18

Young, Amber E.
45 Noble Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 7
Filing Date: 01/31/18

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates Departments

The following business certificates and trade names were issued or renewed during the month of February 2018.

AMHERST

10 Say Technology
1325 South East St.
Greg Stutsman

Coy Mami Produce
165 Summer St.
Roger Coy Mami

BELCHERTOWN

M.V.M. Cleaning Services
271 Aldrich St.
Maria Maravilha

Oak and Ash Farm
241 Allen St.
Lindsey Baird, Matthew Baird

Oak and Ash Farm Distillery
241 Allen St.
Lindsey Baird

River Ledge Farm
298 Cold Spring Road
Lydia Lajoie, Corey Lajoie

Summer Wind Daycare
97 Stebbins St.
Ketesah Trudeau

CHICOPEE

J. Polep Distribution Services
705 Meadow St.
Jeffrey Polep

Mike’s Variety
355 Dale St.
Michael Montemagni

Polished Nail Bar & Spa
233 Grattan St.
Tiara Washington

Ronald E. Bevan, Electrician
26 Campbell Place
Ronald Bevan Jr.

Sal Oliveras Custom Painting
7 Otis St.
Salvador Oliveras

Wink Lash Boutique
51 Cabot St.
Luis Marrero, Sharon Lopez

DEERFIELD

Bergeron Drain Pro
18 Stillwater Road
Derek Bergeron

Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary Inc.
3 McClelland Farm Road
Patrick Veistroffer

Valley Re-Fab Inc.
8 North St.
Caleb Dillensneider

EASTHAMPTON

Atalasoft Inc.
116 Pleasant St.
Kofax Inc.

Organized Valley
132 Park St.
Angelie Peterson

Pioneer Tax & Business Services
126C Northampton St.
Heidi Chereski

Rite Aid #10053
32 Union St.
Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc.

Super Washing Well Laundry
92 Union St.
David Cortis

EAST LONGMEADOW

Angelo’s Barber Shop
513 College Highway
Daniel Bean

Embracing the Creative Child
232 North Main St.
Sarah Gale

M & D Trucking
134 South Loomis Road
Michael Girroir

Trendy Right Now
44 Bugbee Road
Robert Boyd

HADLEY

AG Konani
34 Greenleaves Dr., #18
Alfred Gyamfi

The Davis Method
245 Russell St.
Julia Davis, Ryan Davis

Devine Brothers Farms
26 Knightly Road
Devine Brothers Partnership

Devine Farms Inc.
26 Knightly Road
Devine Farms Inc.

Excel Builders
60 Chmura Road
Andrew Klepacki

Hadley Nails Spa
207 Russell St.
Orchid Nguyen

Howard Johnson
401 Russell St.
Howard Johnson Lodge, LLC

KSK Properties
5 Birch Meadow Dr.
Ron Keith

Readings by Margurite
249 Russell St.
Margurite Miller

Sweet Frog
344 Russell St.
Hadley Frog, LLC

HOLYOKE

Aligned & Well
187 Sargeant St.
Margaret Hudson

Denison’s Mini-Market
263 Hampden St.
Evylyn Cuello

Kool Smiles, P.C.
217 South St.
Dr. Tu Tran

Loomis House
298 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke Retirement Community Inc.

LONGMEADOW

Coat & Tails
109 Yarmouth St.
Kristin Casey

LUDLOW

Kieu Nail Artist
115 Sewall St.
Kieu Nguyen

Kitchen Works
35 State St.
Ronald Kretschmar

Ludlow Pizza
257 Fuller St.
Umit Baytemur

So Cool Gifts & Accessories
345 Holyoke St.
Ana Capela

NORTHAMPTON

Acadia Herbals
2 Conz St., Suite 46
Jennifer Goodheart

Affordable Auto Repair
376 Easthampton Road
James Germana

Backyard Bread
45 Vernon St.
Samuel Coates-Finke

Integral Guesthouse
73 Willow St.
Christopher Spicer

Jackson & Connor
150 Main St., Suite 2250
W & L Retail, LLC

Mattress Firm #181010
172 North King St.
Ken Murphy

Recastings
46 Columbus Ave.
Cheryl Cross

The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought
25 Main St.
Jennifer Polins

Vomax
48 Damon Road
Rajiv Singh

PALMER

CVS Pharmacy Inc.
1001 Thorndike St.
CVS Pharmacy Inc.

Dave Lane Building and Remodeling
1371 Main St.
David Lane

DHG Direct Hire Global
1386 Main St.
Nicholas Paydos

Menard’s Mowing
26 King St.
Joshua Menard

Tony’s Happy Valley Pizza
3102 South Main St.
Anthony Valley

Wendy’s #311
1213 Thorndike St.
Inspired by Opportunity, LLC

SPRINGFIELD

AK Leasing Trucking
94 Gillette Ave.
Lahoussine Akanour

Avanti Salon & Day Spa
1498 Allen St.
Jennifer DeNardo

Awan Brothers
954 State St.
Mohammad Awan, Wajid Mahmood

Brylo Auto
51 Dale St.
Bryan Lora

Casa de Decoraciones
15 Burnside Terrace
Arguidania Ortiz

Chica’s Party Dream
20 Cabot Court
Santa Feliciano

Construction Keys
520 Main St.
Hector Quiles

Crunchy Fried Chicken
30 Fort Pleasant St.
Muhammad Ramzan

Daddy B’s Sandwich Shop
375 Canon Circle
Timothy Brown

Family Dollar #32030
2594 Main St.
Family Dollar Stores

Family Dollar #31747
247 Hancock St.
Family Dollar Stores

Family Home Improvements
27 Margerie St.
Pablo Martinez

Her Imperial Highness
44 Mattoon St.
Jolyn Paris

IQ Financing
93 College St.
Stewart Wilkerson

La Placita Market
2460 Main St.
Munir Ahmad Khawaja

La Belle Salon
933 Boston Road
Yanitza Nogue

Lee’s Club
138 Ardmore St.
Lee Kania

MP Roofing
26 Puritan Circle
Marcus Pierce

Northeastern Career Network
78 Wayne St.
Son Vo

OCD Cleaning
122 Chestnut St.
Davaughn Coppedge

Partners for a Healthier Community
127 State St.
Jessica Collins

People Supermarket
24 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Domingo Rosario

Spruced
122 Chestnut St., Apt. 7
Saucha Consulting Inc.

Times Square Marketing
1350 Main St., Suite 1114
Marcus Smith

WESTFIELD

Big Big Box, LLC
66 Westfield Industrial Park
Big Big Box, LLC

Coggin Machine & Design
52 Deer Path Lane
Jayme Coggin

Country View Primitives
57 Franklin St.
Country View Primitives

The Crack Man
14 Clifton St.
The Crack Man

Cusson Remodeling
64 Yeoman Ave.
Christopher Cusson

Fields of Flowers Farm
435 North Road
Patricia Feld

Mercy Adult Day Health of Westfield
24 Clifton St.
Trinity Health PACE

Simon Sez Pets
35 Schumann Dr.
Richard Simons

Smoke & Vape Shop
41 Franklin St.
MZY Corp.

Westfield Animal Clinic
422 North Elm St.
D & J Animal Clinic, LLC

Westfield Nails & Spa
459 East Main St.
Hanh Chanh

West Side Pet Sitting, LLC
10 Greenwood St.
West Side Pet Sitting, LLC

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Bueno Y Sano
935 Riverdale St.
Robert Lowry

Centerplate
1305 Memorial Ave.
Boston Culinary Group

DJ Xino
70 Elmdale St.
Alvaro Arqveta

Good Dog University
167 River St.
Kimberly Balboni

Green Stone Landscaping
34 Lewis Ave.
Sami Hajrizi

Karma Pet
24 Myron St.
Guy Leclerc

Nicolai Floor Covering
131 Ashley Ave.
Nicolai Contir

Star Realty
347 Gooseberry Road
Donald Ugolini

Ultimate Home Inspections
379 Rogers Ave.
Theodore Pinkerman

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

Holyoke

Peoplesbank Charitable Foundation, Inc., 330 Whitney Ave., Suite 740, Holyoke, MA 01040. Thomas Senecal, same. Grants funding programs that benefit low and moderate income and under-served populations focused on the areas of academic excellence, community vibrancy and environmental sustainability.

Longmeadow

Patez Commercial Cleaning Contractors Inc., 187 Westmoreland Ave., Longmeadow, MA 01106. Andreia Patez, same. Cleaning, powerwashing, painting.

North Adams

Save Fort Massachusetts Memorial Inc., 1143 State Road, North Adams, MA 01247. Wendy M. Champney, same. To promote the preservation of the memorial located on Route 2 in North Adams marking the former site of Fort, Massachusetts.

Pittsfield

Scapin Builders Inc., 7 Lebanon Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Jon Scapin, same. Service: remodel existing residential properties.

Springfield

Onecall Medstaff Corp., 736 Belmont Ave., Apt. 1R, Springfield, MA 01108. Steven B. Kee, same. Staffing services.

Sabella Hogan, P.C., 1350 Main St., Suite 214, Springfield, MA 01103. Edward V. Sabella, same. Law practice.

Puerto Rico Food Industries Inc., 61 Mansfield St., Springfield, MA 01108. Luis Feliciano, same. Wholesale of specialty food products.

Ware

Pablo D. Santiago Ministries, 35 West St., Ware, MA 01082. Pablo De Jesus Santiago, 8 Cherry St., Ware, MA 01082. The purpose of this corporation is to expand the Kingdom of God in humble service to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ through ministry, education, charitable service, contribution, outreach, fellowship and ordination.

West Springfield

Road Star Express Inc., 34 Tatham Hill Road, West Springfield, MA 01089. IlkhomAgayev, same. Long haul trucking company.

Westfield

Om Mobil Mart Inc., 162 Southampton Road, Westfield, MA 01085. Mehar Hamza, same. Gas station.

Wilbraham

Rice’s Fruit Farm Corporation, 757 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Anthony D. Maloni, same. Preparation and sale for consumption of food products, beverages and other goods to the general public.

Briefcase

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Tighe & Bond Publishes 2017 Water and Sewer Rate Survey Results

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond published the results of its most recent Massachusetts Water and Sewer Rate Survey. Since 1997, Tighe & Bond has gathered and published Massachusetts water and sewer user rate data that municipal government and private water suppliers can use as a benchmarking tool for comparing their rates against other suppliers in the state. The survey, conducted across the state during 2017, includes typical annual homeowner water and sewer costs for most systems throughout Massachusetts. It also provides information regarding rate structures and billing cycles. This can be particularly useful information when suppliers are considering adjustments to their current rates or rate structures. Tighe & Bond is now teaming with the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina School of Government to present the results of the firm’s rate study using a free, online rates dashboard developed, hosted and maintained by the center. This gives users more flexibility in examining the survey data. Users can adjust the assumed annual usage the comparison is based on, review conservation and affordability metrics, as well as compare annual bills. They can also compare rates by utility size, river basin, geographic area, and median household income. The 2017 water survey indicates that annual water costs in in Massachusetts range from a low of $123 to a high of $2,025. The 2017 average is $595, and the median is $568. Sixty-five percent of survey respondents have increased their rates since the 2014 survey. The 2017 sewer survey indicates that annual sewer costs in in Massachusetts range from a low of $229 to a high of $2,316. The 2017 average is $862, and the median is $838. Three-quarters of survey respondents have increased their rates since the 2014 survey. Anyone can access the online rates dashboard, or request a copy of these survey results, by visiting www.tighebond.com/category/rate-surveys.

Opioid-related Overdose Deaths Fell by More Than 8% in 2017

BOSTON — Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts declined in 2017 by an estimated 8.3% compared to 2016. This is the first time in several years there has been a year-over-year decline, according to the quarterly report released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This is the third consecutive quarterly report where the number of estimated and confirmed opioid-related deaths declined. The total number of estimated and confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017 was 1,977, which is 178 fewer deaths than the 2,155 estimated and confirmed deaths in 2016, or an 8.3% decrease. In previous years, the year-over-year comparisons showed increases in opioid-related overdose deaths; the estimated opioid-related overdose death rate in 2016 increased by 22% from 2015, there was a 30% increase in 2015 from the prior year, and in 2014, there was a 39% increase from 2013.

Bradley Airport to Introduce Non-stop Service to St. Louis

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) announced the debut of new daily, non-stop service between Bradley International Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Southwest Airlines. The service will commence on Aug. 7, utilizing a Boeing 737, with an average of 143 seats. The daily departure from Bradley International Airport is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. (Eastern Time), with an arrival at St. Louis Lambert International Airport at 12:45 p.m. (Central Time). The inbound flight is scheduled to leave St. Louis at 4:25 p.m. (Central) and arrive at Bradley at 7:50 p.m. (Eastern). This route will be Southwest’s 10th non-stop destination out of Bradley International Airport. The airline currently offers non-stop service from Bradley to Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. The airline first started flying out of Bradley in 1999.

State Announces Grants to Restore Rivers, Boost Climate Readiness

BOSTON — The state recently announced $97,397 in state grant funds for priority projects in the city of Northampton and the towns of Duxbury, Middleton, and West Boylston to remove dams, aid in the restoration of rivers to their natural state, and increase climate readiness. Benefits of river restoration include increased habitat for fish and wildlife, flood management, landscape development, and an increase in recreational opportunities and access. The grant funds are administered by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration (DER). Locally, work will include the Upper Roberts Meadow Brook restoration and the Upper Roberts Meadow Brook dam removal in Northampton, to be funded with a $25,000 state grant. The brook is a cold-water stream with a resident trout population. Removal of the 30-foot-high dam will provide numerous environmental benefits, including conversion of the dam impoundment back to a free-flowing reach, reconnection of approximately nine miles of upstream habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms, and repair of ecological processes that support a healthy stream system, including the movement of sediment and organic matter. This grant will support the city in completing the permitting phase, conducting the bid phase, and beginning the project implementation phase. Priority projects are evaluated by DER on their ecological benefit, cost, size, practicality, feasibility, contribution to climate readiness, opportunity for public education and recreation, available program resources, and partner support.

New Energy-efficiency Program Offers Opportunities and Rebates

BOSTON — A new pilot program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is making incentives for energy-efficiency upgrades in residential buildings with one to four units available to Massachusetts residents, including those serviced by municipal lighting companies. DOER, established to develop and implement policies and programs to further the energy-related goals of the Commonwealth, has created the Home Energy Market Value Performance (MVP) pilot program to test innovations to residential energy-efficiency program delivery. This program is designed to be custom-built around a home’s individual needs instead of a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all process, relying on the participating contractors’ expertise in building science and advanced modeling software used during the energy audit. The incentives and rebates available for energy-efficiency upgrades are based on the reduction of annual energy consumption of the home. The initial audit will model the current annual energy usage, and the energy specialists will create a plan to reduce that usage. Together with the energy specialists, homeowners can make decisions about what measures to install or upgrade based on their homes’ particular needs and the projected incentive paid by the program. A site visit will be conducted after the upgrades have been completed to confirm their installation and approve the customer’s rebate package. The MVP pilot will run until November 2019 or until all funding is spent, which is estimated to cover 600 projects statewide. Massachusetts residences up to a four-unit building that meet health and safety standards are eligible for participation, including condominiums and rentals with written agreement from the landlord. Currently, homes that heat with Berkshire Gas or that are on a reduced rate code or heating assistance are not eligible for the program. The pilot consists of just eight participating contractors across the state. Locally, the Energy Store, an Easthampton-based Building Performance Institute Goldstar Contractor, was chosen as a participating contractor. Inquiries about the DOER MVP pilot can be directed to the Energy Store at [email protected].

Advertising Club Accepting Scholarship Applications

SPRINGFIELD — The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts scholarship committee announced that scholarship applications are now available online at adclubwm.org. Applications will also be available through guidance departments at high schools in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties, or by contacting the Ad Club at (413) 736-2582. In 2018, one $1,000 scholarship will be awarded. Western Mass. seniors who plan to attend an accredited college or technical school to study advertising, communications, marketing, or graphics arts and will be attending in September 2018 are encouraged to apply. The scholarship must be applied against tuition and fees at the school. Candidates will be judged on academic performance; extracurricular activities; community service and/or work experience; a demonstrated interest in advertising, communications, marketing, or graphic design; personal recommendations; and a letter of introduction outlining future plans. Completed scholarship applications and all support materials must be submitted to the Ad Club and postmarked by Friday, March 30. Scholarship decisions are made by the scholarship committee of the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts, and are considered final. The scholarship will be awarded at the Ad Club’s Creative Awards show in May.

HCC Foundation Offers More Than $200,000 in College Scholarships

HOLYOKE — More than $200,000 in scholarships is available for new, current, and transferring Holyoke Community College (HCC) students for the 2018-19 academic year. Students must be currently enrolled at HCC or have been accepted for the upcoming academic year to be eligible for scholarships, which are awarded through the HCC Foundation. Last year, for the 2017-18 academic year, the HCC Foundation awarded scholarships to more than 200 students. For more information or to fill out the online application, visit www.hcc.edu/scholarships. The application deadline is Wednesday, March 21. For more information, call the HCC Foundation scholarship office at (413) 552-2182 or visit the Institutional Advancement office in Donahue 170 on the HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke.

Company Notebook

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Big Y’s Growth Expands Distribution Center

SPRINGFIELD — It was in 1995 that Big Y expanded its three smaller distribution facilities into the former Rexnord Roller Chain Manufacturing Co. on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield. At the time, a staff of 27 people distributed produce and other products to 31 supermarkets throughout the region. Three years later, Big Y’s corporate headquarters and store support center moved to the same site. Fast-forward to 2018, when Big Y’s distribution now supports 70 supermarkets out of the same space, and it is easy to see the need for an expanded facility. The current 189,000-square-foot distribution center has 19 receiving bays and operates round the clock seven days a week with a staff of 92 moving product through this system. In 1995, 3.5 million cases of product were shipped each year from this facility. Even eight years ago, Big Y’s distribution-center team shipped out nearly 15 million cases to stores. By the end of last year, that number had increased to more than 20 million cases. Therefore, Big Y plans an expansion in order to provide capacity for the next 20 years, with includes plans for 20 new supermarkets. The company anticipates a total of 53 dock doors are needed to manage this growth, along with an additional 232,000 square feet of space for a total of close to 425,000 square feet. This expansion will improve the efficiency of the flow of goods to all of stores and will require an additional 32 full-time employees at this site. Big Y has worked with Kevin Kennedy, Springfield’s chief Development officer, along with Mayor Domenic Sarno to develop a plan for this $35 million to $40 million project. In addition, Big Y is working with Springfield based Dennis Group, a local full service planning, architecture, engineering and construction management firm on this project. It is expected to be completed over the next 18 months.

UMass Dining App Wins Two Awards

AMHERST — The UMass Dining mobile app has been recognized in the Web Marketing Association’s sixth annual MobileWebAwards competition as both the Best University Mobile Application and the Best of Show Mobile Application of 2017. The UMass Dining mobile app’s key features include up-to-date menus, operating hours, and contact information for all dining common locations, the ability to view real-time traffic updates for each location, having access to UMass Dining’s on-campus events information, and the ability to personalize one’s menu for dietary preferences and allergens. Each website and mobile application in this year’s MobileWebAwards competition were assessed based on creativity, impact, design, content, interactivity, ease of use, and the use of the medium. Each entry was evaluated in comparison to the websites and mobile apps within the same format in its industry and then judged for an overall standard of excellence.

United Personnel Wins 2018 Best of Staffing Awards

SPRINGFIELD — United Personnel announced it has won Inavero’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to clients and job seekers. Presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, Inavero’s Best of Staffing winners have proven to be industry leaders in service quality based entirely on ratings by their clients and the employees they have helped find jobs. On average, clients of winning agencies are 2.3 times more likely to be completely satisfied. Job seekers who work with winning agencies are 1.7 times more satisfied with the services provided compared to those working with non-winning agencies. Focused on helping to connect people with the right job opportunities, United Personnel received satisfaction scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from a significant amount of both clients and candidates placed in jobs, resulting in the recognition. These two awards are distinctions that fewer than 2% of all staffing agencies in the U.S. and Canada have earned.

Professional Drywall Construction Inc. Transfers Ownership

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Professional Drywall Construction Inc. (PDC) recently transferred ownership of the company to two of its employees. Ron Perry and Nick Shaink are now carrying on founder John Kendzierski’s legacy as a leading commercial drywall contractor in Southwestern New England. Former owner John Kendzierski will remain on the board of directors as a consultant. PDC will continue to operate from its West Springfield office, but in order to better serve the construction industry in Connecticut, it recently opened a second office in South Norwalk, Conn. The new location allows PDC to react more quickly to requests from Connecticut customers and provide additional on-site consultation in the Southern Conn. area. Affiliated with the carpenters and laborers union since 1997, PDC has grown to become a regional firm with more than employees, working in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. PDC is pre-qualified to work in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, and has a bonding capacity of up to $35 million, enabling it to accommodate virtually any size project.

PV Squared Welcomes Five New Worker-owners

GREENFIELD — PV Squared, a worker-owned cooperative and certified B Corp solar-installation company located in Greenfield, recently welcomed five new worker-owners to the ownership team. Each of the new worker-owners — Daniel Berry, Daniel Gomez, Doug Dedischew, Elliot Henry, and Ian Tapscott — has worked at PV Squared for at least two years before being promoted to worker-owner. PV Squared started with four co-owners in 2002 and has since grown to 44 employees, 24 of whom are worker-owners. There are thousands of worker-owned cooperatives around the world, and that number is growing. The cooperative model reflects a growing movement to create an economic and social alternative to ‘business as usual.’ In a worker-owned cooperative, the people who do the work make the decisions together, instead of having them handed down from an executive. It’s a think-on-your-feet model that allows workers to offer their perspective, suggest alternative methods, and affect real change in practices. PV Squared provides renewable-energy solutions to a wide range of clients, including business owners, commercial property owners, academic institutions, and homeowners in Western Mass. and surrounding regions.

MassMutual Foundation Gives $1 Million in Grants to Springfield Schools

SPRINGFIELD — The MassMutual Foundation Inc. — a dedicated corporate foundation established by MassMutual — announced it is providing $1 million to expand the City Connects program into eight additional elementary schools throughout Springfield. This grant aligns with the foundation’s focus on supporting programs that broaden economic opportunity for students and their families by transforming the system of learning. It is also consistent with the company’s recent decision to expand and reinvest in Massachusetts. City Connects, a national program executed by the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, launched in five Springfield public schools in September 2011 and has tripled its reach and impact, serving 15 schools in 2017. The MassMutual Foundation grant will enable City Connects to reach a total of 23 schools. The program provides support for students based on their individual needs by addressing out-of-school challenges that affect student success, and leverages existing community resources and support services to optimize students’ readiness to learn. During the 2016-17 school year, City Connects served more than 5,000 Springfield students, and nearly 100 community partners provided support and services to meet these students’ unique strengths, needs, and interests. Research has shown that the City Connects program significantly improves students’ academic performance; some positive long-term effects include lower dropout rates, higher test scores, and less chronic absenteeism.

HNE Gives Food Bank $30,000 to Support Puerto Rican Evacuees

HATFIELD — The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts announced it has received a $30,000 grant award from Health New England to support Puerto Rican evacuees settling in Western Mass. following Hurricane Maria. The Food Bank has been collaborating with community organizations throughout the region to provide evacuees with their most basic need: food. The grant award will fund the food needs of the two designated welcome centers with the greatest influx of new people: Springfield Family Resource Center and Enlace de Familias Resource Center of Holyoke. Since evacuees began arriving in Western Mass. last October, the Food Bank has been working with these local organizations to ensure everyone has access to healthy food. It has been making weekly deliveries to Enlace de Familias to provide food for approximately 125 families per week. The provisions of canned fruit and vegetables, soup, rice, beans, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, and other staples afford families nourishment as they get themselves settled. The Food Bank has also been delivering food weekly to the Springfield Family Resource Center. Additionally, its agency-relations team has been connecting families with other local partner feeding programs so they can continue to access healthy food, and SNAP coordinators have been on site in Holyoke, enrolling evacuees to receive federal SNAP food benefits.

Community Music School Wins Grant from MDRT Foundation

SPRINGFIELD — The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Community Music School of Springfield (CMSS) through its Quality of Life Grant Program in honor of Jeanmarie Deliso, CFP. Through its global grants programs, the MDRT Foundation is committed to building stronger families and communities around the globe. This year, the MDRT Foundation will award more than $1 million in MDRT member-endorsed grants to more than 200 charitable organizations worldwide. Representing the MDRT Foundation, Deliso will present this grant to Community Music School of Springfield on March 23 at its board meeting. Trained in both music and special education, CMSS faculty work with Springfield classrooms to teach general music concepts in a way that is accessible to special-education students. The AMP Institute expands the reach of this work by training educators to use these methods in their classrooms.

Community Bank, N.A. Ranked Sixth in U.S. in Financial Performance

DEWITT, N.Y. — Forbes magazine recently ranked Community Bank, N.A. sixth in the nation for financial performance in a study analyzing 10 key metrics related to growth, asset quality, capital adequacy, and profitability for the nation’s 100 largest banks and thrifts. This is the seventh year running that Community Bank, N.A. has ranked among the top 15 banks on the list. Forbes began ranking America’s 100 largest publicly traded banks and thrifts after the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Community Bank, N.A. scored above all regional banks serving within the bank’s footprint.

Bumpy’s Natural and Organic Foods Moves to Agawam

AGAWAM — The West of the River Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Bumpy’s Natural and Organic Foods to the Agawam community. Business owner Derryl “Bumpy” Gibbs and his sister Dishanda Robinson moved the retail store from Granby to the Agawam location last month. As the community becomes more health conscious, Gibbs felt the move was a good opportunity for Agawam and the surrounding region to “eat well, feel great, and save money” — the company’s slogan. It is a family-owned business looking to support healthy families. From an elaborate selection of herbal teas to shampoos to baby needs, Bumpy’s aims to meet the everyday needs of people looking to eat and live healthy, Gibbs said.

WFWM Receives Grant to Support Women’s Leadership Programs

SPRINGFIELD — The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced it has received a $25,000 grant from Irving and Sulamith Blackberg Charitable Foundation, Stanley Waxler, Joan Waxlerm and Bank of America, N.A., co-trustees. The unrestricted funds will directly support women and girls in Western Mass. who are participating in the Women’s Fund’s signature leadership-development programs, the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI) and the Young Women’s Initiative (YWI). Both programs are dedicated to serving local women and girls in their personal and professional leadership development. LIPPI is a non-partisan initiative that provides women with the tools, mentors, and confidence they need to become community leaders and elected officials. The program trains women in the nuts and bolts of impacting policy from a citizen perspective, and develops leadership confidence through 11 intensive workshops held in downtown Springfield over 10 months. YWI, a national, multi-sector project aimed at creating sustainable prosperity for young women, is a cooperative effort of eight women’s foundations across the U.S. The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts is leading the Springfield Partnership, a pilot program that aims to produce systems change in the region’s largest city.

People on the Move

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Departments People on the Move
Christine Devin

Christine Devin

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the promotion of Christine Devin, CPA, to manager in its Audit and Accounting department. In her new position, Devin will be responsible for the management of audit and review engagements for the firm’s not-for-profit, commercial, and pension clients. In addition, she will assist with the management of the not-for-profit niche, which encompasses the supervision and training of staff, client relations, firm protocol, and regulatory updates. She rejoined MBK in 2015 as a senior associate. With nine years of experience as a controller of a closely held business and more than eight years of public accounting experience, Devin combines a deep understanding of the operations, financial reporting, and regulatory requirements of the private sector with the technical expertise of a CPA. Devin received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Elms College. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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Katie Longley

Katie Longley

Elms College appointed accomplished higher-education finance executive Katie Longley the college’s new vice president of Finance and Administration. Reporting to the president, Longley, who will join Elms on March 26, will be responsible for the strategic oversight and management of the college’s financial resources and operations. She comes to Elms from Abilene Christian University in Texas, where she currently serves as associate vice president of Finance. She held successive positions as controller, tax director, payroll manager, and senior accountant during her tenure with ACU. Prior to her work in higher education, Longley was in public accounting, working as an associate for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and then becoming a senior auditor for Davis, Kinard & Co. She holds a master’s degree in accountancy and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, both from Abilene Christian University. Longley fills the position vacated by Brian Doherty, who retired from the college earlier this year.

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Marcie Zimmerman

Marcie Zimmerman

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) promoted Marcie Zimmerman to Human Resources officer. In this role, she is responsible for the day-to-day management of HR, including benefits administration, employee relations, payroll, affirmative-action plan, recruiting, orientation, performance management, policy implementation, and employment-law compliance. Zimmerman joined GSB in 2009 and has worked in the field of human resources for more than 12 years. She holds a number of HR certifications, including Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and Certified Compensation Analyst (CCA).

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Jeanne Kosakowski

Jeanne Kosakowski

The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced that Jeanne Kosakowski has been hired as claims director. In this role, she handles some of the personal-lines claims, all of the commercial-lines claims, and oversees all claims. “Jeanne joins us with over three decades of insurance experience and demonstrated customer relations that will benefit our customers,” said John E. Dowd Jr., president and CEO. Kosakowski came to the Dowd Agencies from Hanover Insurance, where she was a commercial-lines product analyst. She received her bachelor’s degree from Russell Sage College in New York, where she was a Kellas Scholar. She is an Associate in Claims (AIC), a Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR), and a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), and is currently working on her Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation. Kosakowski, who was named an “outstanding instructor” for the Worcester County Insurance Institute, will be based in the Dowd Agencies’ home office in Holyoke.

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Elizabeth Dineen

Elizabeth Dineen

The board of trustees at Elms College appointed Elizabeth Dineen, executive director of the YWCA of Western Mass. in Springfield, as a new board member. Dineen has had a long career of community service, first serving as an assistant district attorney for 25 years prosecuting child sexual abuse and rape cases, then entering an academic career as the director of the Criminal Justice program at Bay Path University, and now at the YWCA, whose mission — “eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all” — is consistent with that of Elms College. Her legal career focused on helping the most vulnerable in the community, especially women and children who were the victims of sexually based and personal violence, and that focus has carried over into her work at the YWCA, which serves women and families at critical times in their lives. Dineen has served on the board of directors of Square One of Springfield, which provides early-education programs for children, since 2013. She previously served on the board of Mont Marie Child Care Center in Holyoke, and on the appropriations committee in East Longmeadow. Honors Dineen has earned throughout her career include the Governor’s Award for Service to the Commonwealth, the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, Top Women of Law from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the first Justice Kent B. Smith Award from the Hampden County Bar Assoc., the City of Holyoke Mayor’s Certificate of Recognition, the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Access to Justice Award as Prosecutor of the Year, and the Elms College Alumni Assoc. Distinguished Alumni Award.

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Nicholas D’Agostino

Nicholas D’Agostino

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Nicholas D’Agostino as its new Affirmative Action officer and Title IX coordinator. D’Agostino comes to HCC after working for nearly 12 years as an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action professional in Connecticut, most recently as the associate in Diversity and Equity at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and before that as an EEO specialist with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. He started at HCC on Jan. 29. A longtime advocate for equity and social justice with a focus on LGBTQ issues, D’Agostino has been an Anti-Defamation League anti-bullying trainer for more than 10 years and has a long association with True Colors, a support and advocacy group in Hartford for LGBTQ youth, which he has served as board president. He has either led or participated in hundreds of affirmative-action and discrimination investigations during his career. At CCSU, D’Agostino conducted awareness and advocacy programs, promoted social-justice initiatives, engaged the college community in sexual-harassment and assault prevention, and led training sessions on diversity, Title IX compliance, anti-racism, and LGBTQ awareness. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in federally funded education programs. D’Agostino holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Quinnipiac University and a master’s degree in counselor education with a specialization in student development in higher education from CCSU.

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Elizabeth Oleksak-Sposito

Elizabeth Oleksak-Sposito

Jeffrey Sattler

Jeffrey Sattler

The Springfield Technical Community College board of trustees recently welcomed two new members. Gov. Charlie Baker appointed Elizabeth Oleksak-Sposito and Jeffrey Sattler to serve on the board, an 11-member body that governs STCC. Oleksak-Sposito worked as a clinical care manager at Boston Medical Center Health Plan from 2012 until her retirement in 2016. She provided holistic medical-care-management services for plan members with chronic conditions and complex care needs. Prior to joining Boston Medical Center Health Plan, she worked as a medical case manager for Broadspire, a division of Crawford & Co. and provider of claims-management solutions to the risk-management and insurance industry. She previously worked as a sales specialist and account manager at Hill-Rom Home Care in Charleston, S.C. A certified case manager prior to her retirement, Oleksak-Sposito holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from American International College in Springfield and a diploma in nursing from the Cooley Dickinson Hospital School of Nursing in Northampton. Her term ends March 1, 2022. Sattler is senior vice president, Commercial Lending, at Savings Institute Bank & Trust. He is responsible for managing and growing the bank’s commercial-banking business, including lending, leasing, and deposit accounts throughout the Greater Springfield and Enfield, Conn. areas. He has more than 35 years of experience in commercial banking at various institutions in the region. Prior to joining Savings Institute Bank & Trust, Sattler served as president of NUVO Bank & Trust Co. (now known as Community Bank N.A.) He serves on the board of directors of Mason Wright Senior Living Community, Rotary Club of Chicopee, and the Western Massachusetts Boy Scouts of America. He is an associate member of the National Tool & Die Assoc. Sattler graduated from Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history, with a minor in business administration. He also graduated from the ABA Commercial Lending Banking School at the University of New Hampshire. His term ends March 1, 2021.

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William Sharp

William Sharp

Freedom Credit Union (FCU), headquartered on Main Street in Springfield and serving members throughout Western Mass. through nine additional branches, announced the recent appointment of William Sharp as the new branch officer in Chicopee. Sharp has worked with financial institutions for 40 years, having held management positions within the banking industry prior to joining Freedom Credit Union in 2013. He is active within his community and has received several recognitions. He currently serves as board chair for the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee, which awarded him the Dr. Edward Ryan Award for board service in 2016. That same year, the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, which he had served as treasurer, named him Ambassador of the Year. He also has served as board chair for the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board and, in 2003, was named Volunteer of the Year by the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce.

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Mary Russell

Mary Russell

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced that Mary Russell has been hired as commercial lines account manager. “With nearly a decade of insurance experience, Mary’s expertise and commitment to customer service will benefit our customers,” said John E. Dowd Jr., president and CEO. As commercial lines account manager, Russell manages a roster of insurance clients and supports producers with a variety of initiatives. She came to the Dowd Agencies from a local agency, where she was a personal lines account manager. She received her associate degree in psychology from Holyoke Community College.

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Margaret (Meg) Beturne

Margaret (Meg) Beturne

Ruben Arroyo

Ruben Arroyo

The Gray House recently inducted two new board members to a three-year term. They were welcomed at the January board meeting by the president and officers of the board. The new board members are Margaret (Meg) Beturne and Ruben Arroyo. Remaining board officers are Kathleen Lingenberg, president; Susan Mastroianni, vice president; Janet Rodriguez Denney, clerk; and Candace Pereira, treasurer. Beturne is a professional nurse with extensive experience in perianesthesia, surgical, ambulatory and critical-care nursing and is the assistant nurse manager at the Baystate Orthopedic Surgery Center in Springfield. Previous positions include Nursing Clinical Operations manager of the Post Anesthesia Care Unit and staff nurse in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. She has served on several boards of directors, including the Children’s Study Home, the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield, the Elms College board of trustees, and the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses. Arroyo is the Code Enforcement inspector for the Holyoke Board of Health and president of Arroyo Inc., an HVAC and home-improvement business. He is a deacon at his church, Iglesia Casa de Misericordia, and also involved with Iglesia Apostolica Cristiana Betzaida and the Christian radio broadcast station La Hora Zero 1490 AM.

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Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced the appointment of Jennifer Lopez as its new Marketing manager. She will oversee the credit union’s Marketing Department staff and daily operations, including brand and product promotions, advertising, online activity, and other marketing efforts. Lopez is a seasoned marketing professional with more than 10 years of experience in media and marketing management in Western Mass. Most recently, she spearheaded the marketing and communications initiatives at Pope Francis High School in Chicopee. Prior to that, she was a reporter and editor for Turley Publications in Palmer, and worked as a content writer for Market Mentors in West Springfield. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Western New England University.

•••••

Country Bank President and CEO Paul Scully announced the promotions of Mark Phillips, Andrew Sullivan, Sarah Yurkunas, and Christine Witz. Phillips has been appointed to first vice president of Internal Audit. He has been with the bank for 23 years and is a certified internal auditor and certified bank auditor. He has more than 40 years in the financial-services industry in various positions, most recently director of Internal Audit. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Nichols College, and is also a graduate of the National School of Banking. He and his wife, Lisa, actively support the Epilepsy Foundation and the Worcester County Food Bank. Sullivan has been promoted to small-business lending officer and has been with the bank for four years. He began his career as a staff auditor at Wolf & Co. in Springfield, where he worked for two years before joining Country Bank as a credit analyst. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management along with an MBA with a concentration in accounting from Elms College. In 2015, he started a charity golf tournament, Andrew Sullivan’s Swing for a Cure, to bring awareness to cystic fibrosis. Over the past three years, this event has raised more than $30,000. Sullivan is also a member of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield and was recently selected to receive the Best in Bank award from Country Bank. Yurkunas has been promoted to commercial portfolio manager and has been with the bank for 11 years. She began her career at Country Bank in the loan-servicing area and then moved to a loan coordinator position, which inspired her to pursue her career in the commercial-lending area. Yurkunas has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Bay Path University. She has also taken classes from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. and received a certification in Fundamentals of Credit Analysis: Intro to Commercial Lending. She volunteers many hours of her personal time to support the bank’s community programs and enjoys giving back to her community. Witz has been promoted to retail lending officer. She has been with the bank for seven years, most recently as the assistant branch manager in the Charlton office. She serves on the Buy Ware Committee.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

1BERKSHIRE
www.1berkshire.com
(413) 499-1600

• March 21: Chamber Nite, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Lee Bank, 75 North St., Pittsfield. Bring your business card to enter to win our door prize. Register online at www.1berkshire.com.
• March 28: Career Fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., hosted by Berkshire Community College, Paterson Field House, 1350 West St., Pittsfield. Get in front of Berkshire-based businesses at this annual event. Connect with employers looking to hire. You may also choose to exhibit, and recruit new employees, grow your business, and get in front of hundreds of job seekers. The event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in exhibiting or attending, visit www.1berkshire.com.

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• March 15: Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and Young Professionals of Amherst After 5 Networking, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Country Nissan, 40 Russell St., Hadley.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• March 8: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Mill 180 Park, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Multi-chamber event sponsored exclusively by CHH Engraving Inc. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up at chicopeechamber.org/events.
 n March 21: St. Patrick’s Day Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by the Delaney House, 1 Country Club Road, Holyoke. Chief greeter: John Beaulieu, city of Chicopee and St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. Keynote speaker: Sean Cahillane, Irish Cultural Center. Sarah the Fiddler will perform. Sponsored by United Personnel, Westfield Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, Polish National Credit Union, Gaudreau Group, Sunshine Village, Spherion Staffing Services, and PeoplesBank. Cost: $23 for members, $28 for non-members. Sign up at chicopeechamber.org/events.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• March 8: Multi-Chamber Networking Event, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Mill 180 Park, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Interland Real Estate, LLC. In addition to the Easthampton Chamber, the chambers of Northampton, Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield, Chicopee, and West of the River are all involved. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.
• March 16: St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon, noon, hosted by Northampton Country Club, 135 Main St., Leeds. The main speaker will be Easthampton City Councilor Dan Carey. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.
• March 27: “Strength-based Leadership” featuring Colleen DelVecchio, certified Clifton Strengths Coach. The second of a two-part series (see Feb. 27 listing above). For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org or call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holyokechamber.com
(413) 534-3376

• March 7: The Chamber Coffee Buzz Morning Networking, 7:30-9 a.m., sponsored and hosted by Loomis House, 298 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Jump-start your day with the opportunity to meet business and community leaders while enjoying coffee and a light breakfast. Coffee sponsored by Manage Your Health and Wealth. Free to the business community. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com or call (413) 534-3376.

• March 7: “Women in Leadership: Leadership in Your Future,” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., hosted by HCC Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St., Holyoke. Join us from March through June to learn from area CEOs while networking with peers from the region. An elegant lunch prepared by the Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts program will provide the setting, which will create the opportunity for a meaningful dialogue on some key leadership issues for those building their careers. Each month, your table will join one of the region’s leading CEOs. Future leadership luncheons will take place on April 4, May 2, and June 5. Cost: $125 for all four sessions.

• March 8: Networking by Night Multi Chamber Event, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Mill 180 Park, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. An evening of networking with several regional chambers, plus food and a cash bar. Chamber partners include Holyoke, Easthampton, Springfield, Westfield, West of the River, Chicopee, and Northampton. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Pre-registration required.

• March 14: St. Patrick’s Day Business Breakfast 2018, 7:30-9 a.m., hosted by the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by PeoplesBank; Holyoke Mall at Ingleside; Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll; and the Republican. Coffee bar sponsored by Marcotte Ford and Holyoke Medical Center. Connect with friends over a hearty Irish breakfast. The 2018 St. Patrick’s Parade Committee award winners, the Grand Colleen and her court, local business milestones, and new chamber members will be recognized. Register by March 8 for a discounted price of $35; cost is $40 after that. Marketing tables are available. Door prizes are welcome. The deadline to register is March 12. Visit holyokechamber.com to sign up, or call (413) 534-3376.

• March 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Slainte Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Sponsored by Expert Staffing. Meet up with your business associates for networking and food. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 if you would like to bring a door prize or if you’re interested in a marketing table for $25.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• March 8: March Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Mill 180, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage. The Northampton, Easthampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Westfield, West of the River, and Chicopee chambers will participate in this networking event. Cost: $10 for members.

• March 15: Introduction to Pivot Tables, 9-11 a.m., hosted by Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. Also called a Cross-Tab, a Pivot Table lets users easily apply various functions to data and separate the data by various criteria in rows and columns. Designed for users of Excel who have used Excel for six months or more and who need to analyze data. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and follow along with the instructor, but this is not required. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• April 11: Protecting Your Data from Security Risks, 9-11 a.m., hosted by Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. CyberSafe is a two-hour workshop for non-technical users that focuses on using technology without compromising personal or organizational security. Students will learn the skills they need to protect digital data on computers, networks, mobile devices, and the Internet. They will learn how to identify many of the common risks involved in using technology, such as phishing, spoofing, malware, and social engineering, and then learn how to protect themselves and their organizations from those risks. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

• June 21: Microsoft Word: Advanced Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts, 9-11 a.m., hosted by Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Presented by Pioneer Training. This workshop will go beyond the basics and explore some of Word’s more advanced features. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/pX8YUuC25YdMsLjD2.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• March 5: March Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Mercy Continuing Care Network at Westfield Adult Day Health, 24 Clifton St., Westfield. Cost: free. Call the chamber office at (413) 568-1618 to register for this event so we may give our host a head count.

• March 14: March After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Spotlight Graphics, 9B Whalley Way, Southwick. Refreshments will be served, and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the chamber scholarship fund. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: $10 for the general public (cash or credit paid at the door). Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For more information, call Pam Bussell at (413) 568-1618.

• March 16: St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Westfield State University, 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Event sponsor: Westfield State University; bronze sponsor: Republic Services; in-kind flower sponsor: Flowers by Webster. Keynote speaker: Bo Sullivan, executive director of the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England. A 50/50 raffle will support the chamber scholarship fund. Cost: $25 for chamber members, $30 for the general public. Register online at www.westfieldbiz.org. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or additional information, contact Pam Bussell at (413) 568-1618 or [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• March 7: Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., hosted by Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Cost: $25 for members ($30 at the door), $35 general admission ($40 at the door).

• March 8: After Hours with Springfield Regional, Greater Easthampton, Westfield and West of the River Chambers, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Mill 180, 180 Pleasant St., Easthampton. Cost: $10 for members, $15 general admission.

• March 9: Outlook 2018, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by the MassMutual Center, Springfield. Featuring keynote speaker Gov. Charlie Baker and Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Cost: $60 for members in advance; $80 general admission in advance.

• March 13: Lunch ‘n’ Learn, details to be announced.

• March 20: C-Suite Conversations & Cocktails, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CityStage, One Columbus Center, Springfield. Members-only event featuring MGM President Mike Mathis. Cost: $25.

• March 29: Speed Networking, 3:30-5 p.m., location to be determined. Cost: $20 for members in advance ($25 at the door), $30 general admission in advance ($35 at the door).

Reservations for all chamber events may be made by visiting www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mailing [email protected], or calling (413) 755-1310.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• March 6: Business Breakfast with MGM, 7-9 a.m., hosted by Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield. Join fellow members and non-members for a business breakfast with MGM. We will provide an update as well as one-on-one sessions with MGM representatives for the bidding process. Sponsorships are available for this event. Register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• March 15: Networking Lunch, noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Crestview Country Club, Agawam. You must be a member or guest of a member to attend. Enjoy a sit-down lunch while networking with fellow chamber members. Each attendee will get a chance to offer a brief introduction and company overview. The only cost to attend is the cost of lunch. Attendees will order off the menu and pay separately that day. We cannot invoice you for these events. Register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

• April 4: Wicked Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., hosted by CHD Cancer House of Hope, West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information about this event, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880, or register at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
springfieldyps.com

• March 10: Eighth annual YP Cup Dodgeball Tournament, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., hosted by Springfield College, Dana Gymnasium, 263 Alden St., Springfield. Cost: $35 for individuals, $275 to $1,000 for teams and sponsorships. More information and registration available at springfieldyps.com.

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

WGBY Wine & Food Lovers Weekend

March 9-10: The WGBY Wine & Food Lovers Weekend returns for its 33rd year with an Irish theme, featuring PBS chef Kevin Dundon, host of the popular cooking show Modern Irish Food. The weekend kicks off March 9 with the region’s largest benefit tasting event, featuring more than 300 wines, craft beers, and specialty food vendors, taking up three large function halls inside Springfield’s Tower Square Hotel. The tasting is followed on March 10 by the WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Dundon has created a seven-course menu of Irish cuisine and will be on hand to explain each featured dish. The meal will be executed by Log Cabin Executive Chef Mick Corduff, and each course will feature two wines, matched by Table & Vine Wine Sales Manager Michael Quinlan and his team. For a sneak peek at the WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner menu, visit wgby.org/wine/menu. Tickets to the March 9 tasting event in downtown Springfield are $49 each; tickets to the seven-course gourmet dinner on March 10 in Holyoke are $175 each. Both are available online at wgby.org/wine or at Table & Vine in West Springfield. Proceeds benefit public television and PBS station WGBY. The event is sponsored by Big Y World Class Markets, Table & Vine, the Dennis Group, and AM Lithography. Media sponsors include BusinessWest, the Healthcare News, and the Republican.

Hockey ‘N Heels

March 10: Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts will host its second annual Hockey ‘N Heels night before the Springfield Thunderbirds game against the Utica Comets from 4 to 6 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Baystate Health and Health New England will sponsor “Pink in the Rink” as part of the game. Attendees are invited to put on their best heels and join a fun ladies’ night. A donation of $50 buys entrance to the pre-game reception, as well as admission to the Thunderbirds game, starting at 7:05 p.m. The $50 also includes a $20 donation to Dress for Success Western Massachusetts to support its programming in 2018. During the reception, Amber Cox, vice president of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and the New England Black Wolves (a professional box lacrosse team), will share her experiences as a woman working in a male-dominated industry. The event will also feature samplings offered by Commercial Distributing, appetizers, and pictures with Boomer, the Thunderbirds’ mascot. Visit springfieldthunderbirds.formstack.com/forms/hockeynheels2018 to purchase tickets.

‘Pricing and Positioning Your Business for Sale’

March 16: Attention all business owners: if you plan to retire, or think you might someday want to change gears in your life, you will eventually be faced with the task of selling or transferring ownership of your business. With this in mind, Philip Steckler and Eric Lineback of Country Business Inc. (CBI) will present a workshop titled “Maximize the Value of Your Business: Properly Pricing and Positioning Your Business For Sale” from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Holyoke Public Library. CBI, a business-brokerage and merger-and-acquisition firm, has managed the sales of more than 1,200 businesses since 1976, with sale prices ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to $30 million, including local businesses Quabbin Industries, New England Wetland Plants, Danco Modern, Bart’s Ice Cream, and Graphic Printing. Steckler and Lineback will introduce business owners to topics such as maximizing the value of a business, properly pricing and positioning a business for sale, attracting qualified buyers, minimizing taxes, and maintaining confidentiality. Additional topics covered will include analyzing a business’ strengths and weaknesses, understanding the marketplace, valuing a business and properly setting the purchase price and terms, and more. To register, contact Ira Bryck at the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley at [email protected] or (413) 835-0810.

Difference Makers

March 22: The 10th annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. The winners will be announced and profiled in the Jan. 22 issue. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. Tickets to the event cost $75 per person, with tables of 10 available. To order, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 or visit HERE. Sponsors include Sunshine Village, Royal, P.C., Health New England, and Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C.

40 Under Forty Gala

June 21: BusinessWest’s 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is a celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held June 21starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, and entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018. Also, the fourth Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced. The 40 Under Forty sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, Mercedes Benz of Springfield, and the MP Group. Tickets will go on sale soon at $75 per person (tables of 10 available). For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

Court Dockets

By
Court Dockets Departments

The following is a compilation of recent lawsuits involving area businesses and organizations. These are strictly allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law. Readers are advised to contact the parties listed, or the court, for more information concerning the individual claims.

CHICOPEE DISTRICT COURT

Gissel Santiago v. Picknelly Family LP
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $4,828
Filed: 1/31/18

HAMPDEN DISTRICT COURT

Guillermo Rivera v. Chicopee Property, LLC
Allegation: Window blinds in apartment maintained by defendant fell on plaintiff, causing injury: $5,204.34
Filed: 1/25/18

Reinhart Foodservice, LLC v. AJB Ventures Inc. d/b/a Corner Grill & Pizzeria and Ibrahin Abed
Allegation: Money owed for goods sold and delivered: $6,618.37
Filed: 1/26/18

Nicole Ward v. Yellowbrick Property, LLC
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $12,080
Filed: 2/2/18

Gordon Hunting v. Eastern States Exposition and Outdoor Sports Expo Group
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $7,469.17
Filed: 2/7/18

HAMPDEN SUPERIOR COURT

Kathy L. Wheatley v. Eastfield Associates, LLC a/k/a Eastfield Mall Associates, LLC and Macy’s Retail Holdings Inc.
Allegation: Slip and fall in Eastfield Mall parking lot causing injury: $91,500
Filed: 1/23/18

Catherine Byrd Clear v. Salema Management Corp.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall at Dunkin’ Donuts causing injury: $21,587.41
Filed: 1/24/18

Mark Pisarczyk, personal representative of the estate of Phyllis Pisarczyk v. Dr. John Romanelli; Baystate Surgical Associates; Jamie Wicks, M.D.; and Baystate Medical Center
Allegation: Wrongful death: $2,524,000
Filed: 1/25/18

The Collins Companies Inc. d/b/a Collins Pipe & Supply Co. Inc. v. the William Powell Co. d/b/a Powell Valves
Allegation: Breach of contract: $428,949
Filed: 1/26/18

Rosemary B. Herberger v. Baystate Medical Center
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $4,144.63
Filed: 1/29/18

Michael Forni v. Kmart Corp.
Allegation: Negligence causing injury: $25,000
Filed: 1/31/18

Christina Mancini v. Haven Plaze East Associates LP and the Stop & Shop Companies Inc.
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury: $43,845.75
Filed: 2/2/18

NGM Insurance Co. as subrogee of Katelyn M. Ford v. Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
Allegation: Negligence; driver of PVTA bus backed into plaintiff’s vehicle, causing injury and property damage: $14,381.83
Filed: 2/2/18

Henry Favreau v. Craig Schacher, M.D.; Kalpana Mani, M.D.; Timothy Herbst, M.D.; and Jefferson Radiology, P.C.
Allegation: Medical malpractice, wrongful death: $25,000
Filed: 2/5/18

HOLYOKE DISTRICT COURT

Lisa N. Grimaldi v. Tannery Crossing Condominium Assoc.
Allegation: Slip and fall causing injury: $1,975
Filed: 1/19/18

John McCluskey v. Pyramid Management Group
Allegation: Negligence; slip and fall causing injury at Holyoke Mall: $5,000
Filed: 1/31/18

The Gray House to Host 27th Annual Spaghetti Supper

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Gray House will hold its 27th annual spaghetti supper on Monday, March 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Greek Cultural Center, 8 Plainfield St. in Springfield. All proceeds from the family-friendly event will help the Gray House provide food, educational services, and youth programming to neighbors living in poverty.

This year’s event sponsor is Freedom Credit Union, and platinum sponsors include PeoplesBank and the Springfield Chapter of UNICO National.
Tickets for the event are a minimum donation of $5. Children 6 and under are free, and all tickets can be purchased at the door.

Supper, dessert, and children’s activities are available, as well as the opportunity to win raffle prizes such as Okemo Mountain lift tickets, a Tree House Brewing Co. basket, and many others. The grand-prize raffle includes a foursome to the Ranch Golf Club, tickets to a Boston Red Sox game, and a 32-inch smart TV. Winners do not need to be present to win the grand-prize raffle, and entry tickets can be purchased in advance by calling (413) 734-6696.

This year, the Gray House will honor St. Michael’s Parish and Knights of Columbus Council #9960 of East Longmeadow. The event would not be possible without the support of the St. Michael’s Knights of Columbus and parishioners, said Teresa Liberti, executive director of the Gray House. “For over 20 years, they have been an integral part of making the spaghetti supper such a success. They are the ones who are cooking and serving the food for over 400 guests we have every year.”

Molding Business Services Acquires Gros Executive Recruiters

By
Daily News

FLORENCE — Molding Business Services of Florence has acquired Gros Executive Recruiters of Franklin, Tenn. Both firms provide recruiting and executive search services to the plastics industry.

Molding Business Services (MBS) was founded in 1998, and during those 20 years, its recruiting division has focused almost exclusively on the injection-molding segment of the plastics industry. Gros Executive Recruiters was founded in 1989 and serves the packaging, plastics-processing, and plastics-machinery markets.

MBS brings a deeper injection-molding network to Gros, while Gros provides MBS with penetration into the packaging and plastics machinery markets. Additionally, merging the two already-extensive industry databases produces a network of talent that will benefit the combined firms’ clients. Together, MBS and Gros have recruiting staff located across the U.S., in Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, Vermont, and California.

“The synergies between the two firms are numerous, and our visions and goals couldn’t be better aligned,” said MBS President Jonathan Soucy. “We are excited about enhancing our reach and capabilities for our clients, especially at a time when the demand for talented individuals in our industry has reached critical levels.”

Former Gros Executive Recruiters owner and industry veteran Dennis Gros has been appointed president of the combined recruiting business. “The combination of MBS’s recruiting division and Gros Executive Recruiters is great news for hiring managers and for professionals who seek a career change,” he said. “In combining our resources, we will offer new programs designed to energize hiring in the plastics industry.”

Gros Executive Recruiters will become the sole recruiting brand of the combined entity and will operate as a molding business services company.

Guardair Corp. Appoints Mark Wysk Director of Global Supply Chain

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — Guardair Corp., the largest U.S. manufacturer of OSHA-compliant safety air guns and pneumatic vacuums, announced the hiring of Mark Wysk as the new director of Global Supply Chain.

Wysk brings 30 years of industrial purchasing management experience, including international sourcing, tool-industry knowledge, and materials expertise. In his new role at Guardair, he will support manufacturing through innovative sourcing strategies and optimizing cost-saving opportunities in conjunction with annual operating plans. His focus will be on building and strengthening partnerships, providing true strategic relationships.

“Mark’s expertise in improving productivity, quality, and efficiency of supply-chain operations is a tremendous asset as we continue to grow,” said Tom Tremblay, president of Guardair Corp. “We are thrilled to have him join our team.”

Wysk was most recently the corporate director of Procurement at Simonds International. Prior to that, he held the position of senior manager of Global Sourcing for Lenox. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, both from Western New England College. He currently serves as president of the Institute for Supply Management of Western New England and has published articles in Supply Chain World and Cutting Tool Engineering.

Tickets Still Available for 10th Annual Difference Makers Gala

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The 10th annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke on Thursday, March 22. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region.

This year’s honorees, which were announced and profiled in the Jan. 22 issue, include Bob Bolduc, CEO of Pride Stores; Bob “the Bike Man” Charland, Founder of Pedal Thru Youth; Girls Inc. of Holyoke; Evan Plotkin, president of NAI Plotkin; Crystal Senter-Brown, author and adjunct faculty at Bay Path University; and WillPower Foundation.

The Difference Makers Gala will begin at 5 p.m. with networking and opportunities to meet this year’s honorees. There will be live entertainment, butlered hors d’oeuvres, a plated dinner, and more networking opportunities. Sponsors include Sunshine Village, Royal, P.C., Health New England, and Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C.

Tickets to the event cost $75 per person, with tables of 10 available. To order, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100 or visit www.businesswest.com.

Raptor Rehabilitor Brings ‘Birds of Prey’ Exhibition to HCC March 6

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Noted raptor rehabilitator Tom Ricardi will bring his “Birds of Prey” exhibition to Holyoke Community College (HCC) on Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m., in the Leslie Phillips Theater. 

Ricardi is a retired Massachusetts Environmental Police major who runs a raptor-rehabilitation center in Conway. His traveling exhibition is meant to showcase his collection of rehabilitated birds of prey and educate residents of New England about them.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the HCC Veterinary Technician program, the Veterinary Technician Club, and the HCC Wildlife Society.

West of the River Chamber Slates Business Breakfast for March 6

By
Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The West of the River Chamber of Commerce will present its Business Breakfast event on Tuesday, March 6 from 7 to 9 a.m. at Storrowton Tavern Carriage House in West Springfield, with guest speakers from MGM Resorts.

The Agawam and West Springfield mayors will offer town updates, followed by a presentation from MGM Resorts about the vendor process and potential job opportunities. After the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to sit one-on-one with the MGM representatives to ask questions about, or seek assistance in, the procurement or hiring process.

The presenting sponsor for this event is Farmington Bank. Premier sponsors are OMG Inc., Health New England, and Polish National Credit Union. Preferred sponsors are Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Candlewood Suites, RTI Associates, and BMW of West Springfield. For more information or to register, call Robin Wozniak at the chamber at (413) 426-3880.

CareerPoint Announces Three Upcoming Events

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — CareerPoint, the Holyoke-based one-stop career center, announced three events for the coming week.

The public is invited to a ribbon cutting for the grand reopening of its College and Career Center at Westfield High School on Wednesday, March 7 at 9 a.m. Westfield Public Schools has engaged in a partnership with CareerPoint to coordinate the center’s activities. The focus of the center is to provide career and job services to students, and to help make connections for students between their academics and their future career options. Rosalin Acosta, state secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, and other state and local dignitaries plan to attend.

Also on Wednesday, March 7, at 11 a.m., Acosta and other state and local dignitaries will participate in a press conference at CareerPoint, 850 High St., Holyoke. Included will be an announcement about the implementation of a Massachusetts Disaster Hurricane Response Dislocated Worker Grant created to assist relocated citizens impacted by Hurricane Marie and Hurricane Irma. Individuals enrolled in the grant will be able to access vocational and ESOL training opportunities.

Finally, a delegation of Puerto Rican workforce-development professionals are visiting Massachusetts this week to learn how the Commonwealth, and specifically community-service organizations in Hampden County, have responded to the influx of relocated citizens impacted by Hurricane Maria. An information-sharing discussion with heads of many of those organizations and local political leaders is scheduled at CareerPoint on Thursday, March 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Global Health Advocate to Speak at Elms College Commencement

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CHICOPEE — Elms College announced that global health leader Dr. Louise Ivers will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree at the 87th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 19.

Ivers is a longtime leader in global health, engaging in global policy and advocacy work to improve health equity. She currently serves as the executive director of the Center for Global Health at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and sits on the board of directors of the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, which is dedicated to providing essential health services to the people of Southern Haiti, especially the most vulnerable. Her work has focused on improving healthcare delivery in resource-poor settings and providing care to the poor in both rural and urban areas.

Previously, she was an associate physician in the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and an associate professor of Global Health and Social Medicine and associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She also has served as a senior health and policy advisor to Partners in Health (PIH) as a member of the PIH executive leadership team, working to support the implementation of strategy across 10 countries. In addition to expanding access to healthcare for the poor, Ivers has contributed to published research articles on HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, and cholera treatment and prevention.

She has worked on healthcare delivery in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. During her time as faculty at BWH, she was based in Haiti to serve as clinical director and then chief of mission for PIH Haiti. She led responses to the major earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and the subsequent cholera epidemic.

Ivers conducts independently funded research focused on barriers to healthcare delivery and the impact of food assistance on livelihoods of people living with HIV infection in rural Haiti. She is actively engaged in evaluating comprehensive responses to cholera.

She has served as an advisor to the World Health Organization, where she is currently a delegate to the WHO Global Task Force for Cholera Control, and the Haitian Ministry of Health. She has collaborated with the U.S. government, with EU multilateral non-governmental organizations, and with private industry partners.

In addition, Ivers mentors Haitian, American, and Irish physicians and students in global health implementation and research. She is the editor of a textbook on food insecurity and public health, and more than 50 peer-reviewed published papers and chapters on global health issues.

The Elms College commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m., and the academic procession will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Holyoke Medical Center to Offer Free Lecture on Colon Health

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HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center will host a free discussion, “Colon Health: Problems & Prevention,” on Wednesday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the HMC Auxiliary Conference Center.

As people age, the risk of developing health problems with the colon increases overall. Colon cancer and common colon disorders such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome can have an impact in one’s everyday life. Join Dr. Francis Martinez, HMC specialty surgeon, as he explores common colon health problems, symptoms, and key approaches to prevention.

This program is free and open to the public, and is part of Holyoke Medical Center’s community-education programming. This is one in a series of workshops held throughout the year to help people learn about specific health issues, wellness, prevention, and treatment. To register for this event, visit www.holyokehealth.com/events or call (413) 534-2789.

Greater Holyoke Chamber Announces St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast

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HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce invites the community to its St. Patrick’s Day Business Breakfast sponsored by PeoplesBank, the Republican, Holyoke Mall, bankESB, Resnic Beauregard Waite & Driscoll, and Westfield Bank. The breakfast will be held on Wednesday, March 14 at 7:30 a.m. at the Log Cabin. Check-in begins at 7:15 a.m.

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade, to be held on Sunday, March 18, will be in the spotlight, along with the parade committee, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade award winners, and the Colleen and her court. Guests are encouraged to mix and mingle at the coffee bar sponsored by Marcotte Ford and Holyoke Medical Center, while Banish Misfortune entertains as guests pour in. The event will be emceed by parade committee members Tessa Romboletti-Murphy and Shelia Moreau.

Chamber members and the public are welcome to attend. Tickets are $35 if purchased by March 9, and $40 thereafter. Tables may be reserved for groups of eight or 10. No walk-ins will be allowed. To register, visit www.holyokechamber.com/events or call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

New Prosthetic Center Serves Amputees with Innovative Technology

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SPRINGFIELD — O & P Labs recently opened the doors to the Prosthetic Center at 3500 Main St. in Springfield. The local prosthetic company has been serving Western and Central Mass., Northern Conn., and Southern Vermont for more than 30 years.

Co-owners Jim Haas and Blaine Drysdale hosted Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and state Rep. Carlos González, along with team members, patients, medical care providers, friends, and family for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 15. González presented a citation to recognize O & P Labs’ “30 years of healthcare service to the people of Springfield, Mass. and your innovative assistance for patients to enjoy productive lives.”

The grand-opening event honored the 700 patients with limb loss who have been served over the last ten years since Haas and Drysdale have owned the company. The decision to create this full-service practice space was in direct response to the needs of these patients.

“I used to ride a bike [before my amputation], and I still do,” said Drysdale, a certified prosthetist. “We are dedicated to helping every patient through their individual process. That includes before, during, and after an amputation.”

The state-of-the-art Prosthetic Center features real-life experiences including a bike trainer, ramp, solo step track system, parallel bars, private rooms, and more.

“Our facility does not feel like a white-coat clinic,” Haas added. “We’re here to help people get on with their lives. We strive to empower our patients to reach their similar activity level as prior to limb loss and feel part of a community while doing it.”

HCC Raises Last Beam in $43.5 Million Campus Center Renovation

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HOLYOKE — For now, it’s still, in the top left corner of the Campus Center roof.
But soon, that white steel beam will be hidden behind the building’s new façade. And there it will remain as long as the building stands, covered with the names of all the Holyoke Community College (HCC) students, faculty, staff, and construction workers who marked it before the beam was raised to its permanent home.

“Having the opportunity to sign this beam represents the last piece of the building that we’re erecting, the highest point,” said HCC President Christina Royal, “and while you won’t necessarily see it, everybody who signed it today, you’re leaving your imprint on history. And that’s what it is. This represents our history.”

Royal offered her remarks during a topping-off ceremony on Feb. 28 in front of the HCC Campus Center, now in the middle of a two-year, $43.5 million, top-to-bottom renovation. The building is expected to reopen for the fall 2019 semester.

Topping-off ceremonies are held before the last and highest beam is fixed to the frame of new buildings. Traditionally, the beam is painted white and signed by work crews and others involved in the project and adorned with a small evergreen tree and an American flag. The ceremonies are also meant to honor the construction workers, many of whom signed the beam.

The white beam was displayed outside the construction zone for a couple of hours before the ceremony so members of the HCC community would have a chance to sign it. By the time it was lifted, the 10-foot beam was covered with signatures written in green and black.

The nearly 40-year-old Campus Center was emptied and closed a year ago for the renovation. Since then, the first and second floors have been completely gutted, and reconstruction work has advanced significantly on both the interior and exterior. The renovation will add about 9,000 square feet to the 57,727-square-foot building.

The main changes include the squaring off of sloping surfaces and the addition of high windows on a new front façade to complement the look of the adjacent and more modern HCC Kittredge Center. The entire structure will be sealed in a watertight, energy-efficient envelope. A glass atrium entrance is being added to the campus-courtyard side of the building. An external balcony will be enclosed and the dining area extended on the second floor. A dedicated visitor parking lot will lead to a walkway bridge spanning a restored brook that was temporarily diverted underground.

The bridge will lead to a new main entrance and into a first-floor welcome center that will house the Admissions Office, Assessment Center, and Advising, Career and Transfer Center, which are all being relocated from the Frost Building.

A second floor student-engagement area will include the cafeteria and food court, the College Store (relocated from first floor); Student Activities and Student Clubs (relocated from the Donahue Building); Multicultural Academic Services (relocated from the Frost Building), and lounge areas with study pods and charging stations. The Electronic Media and Photography programs will return to the third-floor Media Arts Center, which is getting new ductwork, lighting, and ceilings.

“This Campus Center is a massive undertaking for the college,” Royal said. “It’s one of the largest footprints we have on campus. What’s so significant about this space is that it is for students, and this project will have a transformative effect as we bring offices together to help us better support and serve our students.”

The United Arc Hosts Annual Coffee & Conversation Event

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TURNERS FALLS — On Feb. 23, the United Arc held its annual Coffee & Conversation event, an opportunity for legislators in Western Mass. to hear the stories of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

This year, the Coffee & Conversation event brought together experiences in seeking full community inclusion, from the joys of work to struggles against bullying and for full access to education, to the process of gaining acceptance at school and extracurricular activities.

One of the speakers was Tonya Lanpher, parent of a child with autism and a family support specialist at the United Arc. “I think the hardest thing is that people just don’t understand,” she said. “If we can help people understand, then we can create full community inclusion. People don’t understand each other if they don’t spend time together. That’s why full community inclusion is so important.”

Event attendees included U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern; state Sen. Stan Rosenberg; state Reps. Steve Kulik and Solomon Goldstein-Rose; Jon Gould, aide to state Sen. Adam Hinds, and Chris Cappucci, research director for state Rep. Paul Mark. They shared their thoughts on full community inclusion and the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The event was co-sponsored by the Greater Athol Area Advocates for Families with Special Needs, and First Light Power Resources was a supporting sponsor. Other sponsors included 2nd Street Baking Co., Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, and Greenfield Savings Bank. John Howland, CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank, and Linda Ackerman, assistant vice president and branch manager of the Greenfield Savings Bank Turners Falls branch, were also in attendance.

Founded in 1951, the United Arc provides services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties, helping them achieve the universal goals of inclusion, choice, and independence.

Elms College to Host Reading, Discussion on ‘Unruly Catholic Nuns’

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CHICOPEE — Elms College will host a reading and discussion with Jane Morrissey on Thursday, March 15 at 12:15 p.m. in the Alumnae Library Theater.

Morrissey, the former president of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and a former member of the faculty at Elms, will read from and discuss her contributions to the book Unruly Catholic Nuns: Sisters’ Stories, edited by Jeana DelRosso, Leigh Eicke, and Ana Kothe (SUNY Press, 2017).

Unruly Catholic Nuns explores the voices of current and former Catholic nuns as they share their experiences with Catholicism, both in accordance and in conflict with the institutional church. In these women’s stories — told through fiction, poetry, and prose — we learn how they act out their missions of social justice, challenge cultural and governmental policies, and attempt to reconcile their unruliness with their religious orders and the strictures of the church hierarchy.

Morrissey, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, has been a crusader for peace, an author and scholar, and a teacher for more than 40 years. She is currently co-director of the Homework House of Hermano Pedro in Holyoke, which she co-founded in 2006, and has devoted many years to working with the poor in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Guatemala.

Morrissey served as president of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from 1999 to 2005, and has served as chair of their constitution committee. Prior to her leadership in the congregation, she was a pastoral minister at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, director of the SSJ Office for Peace and Justice, a founding member and board member at Gray House, and a teacher at Elms College and Cathedral High School. She was a member of the Elms College board of trustees from 1999 to 2005.

This event is sponsored by Campus Ministry and students in the Sophomore Leadership Program, who will raffle off 15 copies of the book at the reading.

Springfield Regional Chamber Event to Feature Secretary Jay Ash

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AGAWAM — At its Business@Breakfast event on Wednesday, March 7, the Springfield Regional Chamber will host Jay Ash, state secretary of Housing and Economic Development, who will talk about “Unlocking Economic Development,” and his priorities to grow jobs, help communities realize their economic-development initiatives, connect citizens to new economic opportunities, and build prosperity across Massachusetts.

The event takes place from 7:15 to 9 a.m. at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. The cost is $25 for members ($30 at the door), or $35 general admission ($40 at the door).

Ash is responsible for directing and executing Gov. Charlie Baker’s agenda on housing and community development, job creation, business development, consumer affairs, and business regulation. He previously served as city manager in his native Chelsea, a position he held from 2000 to 2014. In Chelsea, Ash’s leadership produced both economic expansion and fiscal stability. He grew the city’s housing stock by more than 10%, expanded its commercial base with two dozen major projects, led all Gateway Cities with a 15% increase in new employment, developed 10 new parks, secured five credit-rating increases, and won two All-American designations for Chelsea.

In his current role, Ash has led statewide initiatives on health insurance, youth violence, transportation infrastructure, and expanded gaming in Massachusetts.

To make a reservation, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (413) 755-1310.

Duggan Students Conducting StoryCorps Session at Loomis Lakeside

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SPRINGFIELD — Today, March 1, from 1:45 to 2 p.m., 13 students from Duggan Academy will visit Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing to participate in a StoryCorps session with seniors from their local community.

StoryCorps is a program developed by NPR, where volunteers record interviews with senior citizens and ask them questions regarding various aspects of their lives. Questions can range from “what was your life like growing up?” to “what has been your greatest accomplishment?” The result is that each senior citizen being interviewed will walk away with a copy of their interview that they can share with their family and loved ones.

Duggan Academy and Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing have teamed up with United Way of Pioneer Valley’s Youth Generate Program. Youth Generate empowers students to create and organize their own community-service projects, with funding and support from United Way of Pioneer Valley.

Executive Director of Phallacies Inc. to Receive National Award

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FLORENCE — Tom Schiff, the founder and executive director of Phallacies Inc., will receive an Innovative Initiative Award in March for his work with the nonprofit, which helps men create healthy masculinities through dialogue and theatrical performance.

Schiff will receive the honor in person from the Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community of the National Assoc. of Student Personnel Administrators at the organization’s 100th annual conference in Philadelphia on March 3-7. The honor comes as Schiff is poised to begin to expand the organization in the region to reach and impact a broader audience of men of all ages.

Phallacies Inc. provides leadership development, health education, and violence prevention for men via dialogue and innovative educational theater. It was born four years ago through Schiff’s work as a health educator at UMass, where he also founded the Men and Masculinities Center.

Through Phallacies, people who identify as male between the ages of roughly 19 and 35 engage in a dialogue about masculinity and the intersections with other identities, health, violence, and relationships, and then create performance pieces as educational and thought catalysts to encourage changing the cultural scripts about masculinities. Performances take place at colleges, human-service organizations and forums, conferences, and local high schools and middle schools.

Men who are involved include teachers, staff from youth and human-service agencies, and medical students. “They’re interested in getting support for themselves about how to be healthier as a man — physically, emotionally, and psychologically — and to find support for that. They are trying to rethink what it means to be a man in the world,” Schiff said. “People also get involved because they’re interested in violence prevention. Men need to speak up and speak out about these issues to help support more men and boys in creating healthy masculinities.”

Schiff holds a doctoral degree in organization development from UMass, a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and a bachelor’s degree in history with certification in secondary social studies from the State University of New York at Cortland.

Hampden County Bar Assoc. Offers Two Law-school Scholarships

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SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc. is now accepting applications for the John F. Moriarty Scholarship and the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship.

The John F. Moriarty Scholarship is available to any Hampden County resident who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school for the 2018-19 academic year. Applicants must have been residents of Hampden County for at least five years. The application deadline is May 25.

The Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship is available to any veteran with an honorable discharge or a current member of the U.S. military who has been admitted to or is attending a certified law school in New England for the 2018-19 year. The application deadline is May 15, 2018.

Both scholarships are based on merit and financial need. Both applications and additional information are available by contacting the Caitlin Glenn at the Hampden County Bar Assoc. at (413) 732-4660 or [email protected], or by visiting www.hcbar.org/news/scholarships.

AIC Named to Victory Media’s 2018 Military Friendly Schools List

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SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has been named to the list of “Better for Veterans” organizations across the country, earning the 2018 Military Friendly School designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs.

Now in its 16th year, the Military Friendly Schools list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students, and proprietary survey information from participating organizations in order to help them select the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. For the first time, student survey data was taken into consideration for the designation. More than 1,300 schools participated in the 2017-18 survey, with 849 earning the designation.

“American International College is proud to assist those men and women who serve our country,” said AIC President Vince Maniaci. “The college recognizes the value of the many educational and leadership experiences that occur in the Armed Forces, and the excellent foundation that military experience provides. In turn, we give veteran students transfer credits for service in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, helping service members and veterans get a head start on earning their degrees.”

Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. Names Four to Board

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HOLYOKE — John Dowd Jr., Dennis Fitzpatrick, Diane LaCosse, and James Wall were recently named to the board of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. (SPMC).

SPMC functions as the holding company for Providence Place Inc., Mary’s Meadow at Providence Place Inc., and Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc., all in Holyoke; and Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center in Westfield. The Sisters of Providence executive council serves as the corporation’s members on the SPMC board and as corporation officers; they include Sr. Kathleen Popko, president; Sr. Mary Caritas Geary, vice president; and Sr. Senga Fulton, secretary/treasurer.

Dowd is president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies, and has served on numerous boards, including the Sisters of Providence Health System (SPHS) and foundation board, NUVO Bank & Trust, and CityStage and Symphony Hall.

Fitzpatrick is president of the O’Connell Companies and former board chair of Brightside for Families and Children, SPHS, and Catholic Health East, of which SPHS was a founding member.

LaCosse is senior vice president of United Bank’s commercial banking division in West Springfield and a member of the Providence Place/Mary’s Meadow board and finance committee. She is a volunteer for the WestMass Eldercare Money Manager Program, an associate of the Sisters of Providence, and formerly served on the Brightside for Families and Children Board.

Wall retired in 2012 as global managing director of talent and chief diversity officer for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., U.S. He currently serves on two boards of trustees: as vice chair of American Management Assoc. International, NYC, and chair-elect of Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. in Holyoke.

Baystate Academy Charter Public School Receives STEM Grant

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SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Academy Charter Public School received a grant to offer high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs from Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. More than 10,500 schools across the country offer PLTW programs to millions of students.

According to Tim Sneed, executive director of Baystate Academy, “these funds will allow us to expand our biomedical sciences programs as we prepare students to enter the field of healthcare.”

Baystate Academy is just one of 73 schools across the Commonwealth to receive the grant, which is supported by the Baker-Polito administration, the One8 Foundation, and Mass STEM Hub.

“It is essential that we engage our students throughout their K-12 school years with hands-on lessons in science, engineering, computer science, technology, and math,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

Baystate Academy will use grant funds to strengthen its PLTW program with biomedical science. Funds from the grant will also support teacher professional development and the purchase of materials and equipment that will be used in the hands-on, activity-, project-, and problem-based courses.

“We are proud to partner with Baystate Academy to empower students to develop the in-demand knowledge and transportable skills to thrive in our evolving world,” said Vince Bertram, PLTW president and CEO.

Workshop to Tackle ‘Pricing and Positioning Your Business for Sale’

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HOLYOKE — Attention all business owners: if you plan to retire, or think you might someday want to change gears in your life, you will eventually be faced with the task of selling or transferring ownership of your business.

With this in mind, Philip Steckler and Eric Lineback of Country Business Inc. (CBI) will present a workshop titled “Maximize the Value of Your Business: Properly Pricing and Positioning Your Business For Sale” on Friday, March 16 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Holyoke Public Library.

CBI, a business-brokerage and merger-and-acquisition firm, has managed the sales of more than 1,200 businesses since 1976, with sale prices ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to $30 million, including local businesses Quabbin Industries, New England Wetland Plants, Danco Modern, Bart’s Ice Cream, and Graphic Printing.

Steckler and Lineback will introduce business owners to topics such as maximizing the value of a business, properly pricing and positioning a business for sale, attracting qualified buyers, minimizing taxes, and maintaining confidentiality. Additional topics covered will include analyzing a business’ strengths and weaknesses, understanding the marketplace, valuing a business and properly setting the purchase price and terms, and more.

This will be an interactive workshop, and questions and discussion will be welcome. To register, contact Ira Bryck at the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley at [email protected] or (413) 835-0810.